Protesters demand Netanyahu’s government strike exchange deal with Hamas
Thousands demonstrated in Israeli cities Saturday to demand a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas to secure the release hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said thousands gathered in Hostages’ Square in central Tel Aviv to press the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike a swap deal.
Family members of the captives joined the main demonstration in Tel Aviv, and held Netanyahu responsible for the failure to secure the release of the relatives.
Additional protests were staged in other cities, including Rishon LeZion in central Israel and Haifa in the north, according to Channel 12. The outlet said demonstrators blocked major roads, including a section of Highway 90 near Kiryat Shmona linking the north and south.
On Thursday, Netanyahu instructed negotiators to begin immediate talks to release the hostages, while simultaneously moving forward with his plan to reoccupy Gaza City.
Tel Aviv estimates that 50 Israeli captives remain in Gaza, with 20 of them alive.
More than 10,800 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, suffering torture, starvation and medical neglect that has claimed many lives, according to rights groups.
Israel has killed more than 62,600 Palestinians in a brutal onslaught in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
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 on the enclave.
