Tens of thousands of protesters filled the streets of Tel Aviv, demanding the government secure a hostage release deal.
Organizers estimated that 130,000 Israelis rallied downtown on Saturday night, calling for a truce to bring hostages home. During a news conference outside the defence ministry, relatives of those held in Gaza voiced their demands.
“Do not let Netanyahu sabotage the deal again. His insistence on continuing the war keeps us from our loved ones,” said an unidentified relative.
“Continuing the war equates to the Israeli government killing the hostages. People believe Netanyahu extends the conflict for personal benefit, as a deal would prompt an early election and end his rule,” the relative added.
Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, stated no progress in ceasefire talks with Israel regarding the Gaza conflict.
Speaking in Beirut on Saturday, Hamdan reiterated Hamas’s readiness to consider any truce proposal that ensures a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal from Gaza, and a significant prisoner exchange.
Efforts by Arab mediators, supported by the United States, have not yet achieved a ceasefire, with each side blaming the other. Hamas demands a deal that permanently ends the war and includes a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Conversely, Israel will only agree to temporary ceasefires until Hamas is eradicated, maintaining control of Gaza since 2007.
