Protesters protest outside headquarters of Netanyahu's Likud Party in Tel Aviv
Families of Israeli captives in Gaza demonstrated outside the headquarters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party in Tel Aviv on Monday to demand a comprehensive ceasefire to end the war on the enclave and guarantee the return of all hostages.
“Return them all and leave Gaza,” reads a banner waved by protesters as they carried photos of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
"Many hostages died in captivity, and many soldiers and women fell in battle. There is no need to kill anyone to return the hostages to their homes, when they can all be returned and the war can be ended under a comprehensive agreement,” the mother of Israeli captive Matan Zangauker said in statements carried by the public broadcaster KAN.
On Saturday, the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, warned that Zangauker's life is at risk as Israeli army forces besieged a location where the captive is being held.
According to Haaretz newspaper, at least 20 hostages had died in Gaza in Israeli military operations since October 2023.
Israel estimates that 56 hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive. Meanwhile, more than 10,100 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons under harsh conditions, including reports of torture, starvation, and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups.
Hamas has repeatedly offered to release all Israeli captives in exchange for an end to the war, a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. However, Netanyahu has rejected those terms, insisting on the disarmament of Palestinian resistance factions and pushing for renewed control over Gaza.
The Israeli opposition and families of the hostages have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war to appease his far-right coalition partners and maintain power.
The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.
