Palestinians expect nothing from Israel's interim prime minister Yair Lipid

Palestinians in Gaza are expecting little from the new Israeli caretaker government led by Yair Lipid. The new government was put in place at the beginning of the month after Naftali Bennett pulled the plug on the ruling coalition.

Yair Lapid when he was Israeli Foreign Minister. AP - Alexander Nemenov

Elections will be held in Israel in November.

Barely appointed, Lapid has already been to France for a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron.

President @EmmanuelMacron, it is a true pleasure for me that my first official visit as Prime Minister of Israel is to a country that is a close friend — and with a President who is a close friend.

Israel and France are more than just friends: we are strategic partners. 🇮🇱 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/DbbVv89lz6

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) July 5, 2022

French support for a positive continuation of nuclear negotiations with Iran dominated those talks. 

"Iran's nuclear power poses a threat to world peace," Lapid told his French host.

On the domestic front, Lapid's four-month tenure will centre on Palestinian-Israeli relations.

This week, Israeli media reported that the Tel Aviv government is considering a prisoner swap with the ruling Islamist Hamas party in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas claims to hold four Israeli captives, including two soldiers taken prisoner in 2014. At least one of the four is known to be suffering major health problems.

• Rival Palestinian leaders shake hands for the first time in more than five years

Biden tours the zone

Later this month, Lapid will welcome US President Joe Biden.

The American leader is to visit Israel, the Palestinian territories and Saudi Arabia.

Most commentators see little hope of getting Palestinians and Israelis any closer to agreement on the two-state solution, long championed by Washington and supported by Lapid.

"Lapid's mandate does not allow him to forge any agreement on any political issues, including the long-envisioned two-state solution.

"He leads a branch of the Israeli left that has always believed in peace with the Palestinians.

"Unfortunately, he does not have much to offer since he is only the leader of a caretaker government," Dr. Mokhaimar Abu Se'da, a Gaza-based political analyst, told RFI in a phone interview.

Many Palestinians say the situation on the ground in the occupied territories is becoming more complicated because of increased settlement activity by Israel, and the military crackdown on Palestinian cities and villages.