Thousands of Israelis hold protests, demand hostage swap deal

JERUSALEM

Thousands of people on Saturday held protests across Israel against the current government led by Benjamin Netanyahu and demanded a hostage swap deal with Hamas.


Families of hostages in Gaza demonstrated near the Defense Ministry’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, demanding an immediate agreement for the release of hostages, according to the official Israeli Broadcasting Authority.


It reported that dozens of Israelis blocked a section of the Ayalon highway in Tel Aviv.


Thousands of Israelis gathered at Kaplan Square in Tel Aviv, demanding early elections and a hostage swap deal, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.


The Karkur intersection near the city of Haifa in the north witnessed the participation of hundreds of Israelis in a demonstration demanding the release of hostages, according to the newspaper.


Yedioth Ahronoth also noted that hundreds of protesters gathered outside Netanyahu's residence in the city of Caesarea in the north, holding banners, which read “Netanyahu, you are guilty.”


It is expected that the pace of protests across Israel will increase in the coming hours.


The families of those detained in the Gaza Strip protest almost daily to demand an agreement leading to the release of their relatives.


Qatar and Egypt, with the assistance of the US, are mediating between Israel and Hamas to reach a new cease-fire agreement in Gaza and facilitate a prisoner exchange.


Israel estimates that there are more than 125 hostages in Gaza, while it holds at least 8,800 Palestinians in its prisons, according to official sources from both sides.


A cease-fire between Hamas and Israel prevailed for a week from Nov. 24 to Dec. 1, 2023, during which there was a cessation of hostilities, prisoner exchanges, and extremely limited humanitarian aid was allowed into Gaza, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.


Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which 1,163 people were killed.


More than 31,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and 73,546 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.


The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.


Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.


*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala​​​​​​​