By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Thousands of protesters blocked main roads in Tel Aviv and Haifa on Saturday night, leading to clashes with police, as they demanded a prisoner swap agreement between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Resistance.

According to the Times of Israel, five protesters were detained, citing a police statement. The statement also reportedly called on “protesters to stop the riots that endanger the police and the rest of the protesters.”

The paper reported that organizers said 500,000 people had attended the mass rally in Tel Aviv, “which would make it the largest in Israel’s history.”

Speakers at the rally accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “insisting Israel remain on the Philadelphi Corridor, separating Gaza from Egypt, as a way to thwart a hostage deal and keep his right-wing government intact,” the report said.

It quoted one protester who interrupted a speaker, yelling” “Netanyahu is a murderer!” which drew some applause.

Protesters also lit a bonfire on Tel Aviv’s Begin Road, the report said.

‘Largest Protests since Oct 7’

The Anadolu news agency cited Israeli Channel 12 as noting that Saturday’s demonstrations were “among the largest protests the country has seen since October 7, 2023.”

The Bring Them Home Now movement posted on X that the “largest rally in Israel’s history is taking place right now, with more than half a million supporters, calling for a deal that will bring all 101 hostages back home. In addition, a quarter of a million people are demonstrating all over Israel.”

The largest rally in Israel’s history is taking place right now, with more than half a million supporters, calling for a deal that will bring all 101 hostages back home.
In addition, a quarter of a million people are demonstrating all over Israel.

After a week when we buried 6… pic.twitter.com/YMmGDXBT71

— Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) September 7, 2024

Following the recent recovery of six captives’ bodies in a Gaza tunnel, the movement said the “people of Israel have had enough.”

“The people of Israel are calling ‘Seal the Deal’,” it said.

Tens of thousands took to the streets last Saturday as well, shouting “Action is Needed Now!”

Organizers estimated that “300,000 people” gathered in Tel Aviv and “an additional 200,000” participated in protests elsewhere across the country, The Times of Israel reported.

General Strike

A one-day general strike, called by Israel’s largest and most influential trade union, was held last Monday further aimed at pressuring the government to reach a ceasefire deal.

Mobilization and General Strike – What Do Protests in Israel Reveal about Netanyahu’s Regime?

Israel estimates more than 100 captives are still being held by Hamas in Gaza, some of whom are believed to have already been killed.

Hamas, in a statement, blamed Israel for the deaths of the captives, citing Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and accused the US of supporting the aggression.

For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire deal. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands to stop the war.

Ongoing Genocide

Israel has flouted a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire and has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.

Tel Aviv is currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, due to its ongoing devastating war on Gaza since October 7.

The Genocide in Palestine – How to Prevent the Next Stage from Happening – ILAN PAPPE

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 40,939 Palestinians have been killed, to date, have been killed, and and 94,616, wounded. Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the enclave.

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.

Israel’s aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.

(PC, Anadolu)