The families of Israeli captives staged several protests demanding a swap deal and accusing Netanyahu of putting his political future first.
The families of Israeli captives in Gaza blocked part of the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding an immediate swap deal with the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, the demonstrators including the families of the captives blocked the main street before setting it on fire.
The Times of Israel reported that the demonstrators set tires on fire to produce the words, “Sorry we were taken hostage.”
The protesters held banners with names of the 101Israeli captives held in Gaza while urging their government to “take urgent steps to bring them back,” Anadolu news agency reported.
The families of the captives accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “abandoning” their loved ones for his own political future.
‘Pleading for A Deal’ – Israeli Captives’ Families Breach Gaza Fence
The Times of Israel reported that five Israelis were arrested for blocking the highway before the Israeli police declared later that the highway was reopened and cleared of protesters.
The Tel Aviv protest came in conjunction with several others held over the weekend to commemorate the Jewish holiday ‘Yom Kippur’ and ask the captives for forgiveness, according to the same paper.
On Saturday night as well, hundreds of protesters took the streets in Caesarea outside the Israeli prime minister’s private residence while chanting “No forgiveness,” in reference to Netanyahu.
The demonstrators held Israeli flags and yellow flags and lit up messages that read “We will not forgive,” and “The neglecter is finished.”
Hollow Ears
These demonstrations come amidst a raging war the Israeli occupation government has been waging on Gaza for over a year now and recent escalations in Lebanon.
The families of hostages have been for months staging demonstrations across Israeli cities demanding that the Israeli far-right government seal a swap deal with the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and other Palestinian groups in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Captives’ Lives at Risk without Agreement with Hamas – Israeli Army Warns
Demonstrations have occasionally been violent where protesters have clashed with Israeli police and several arrests have taken place during the last few months.
The Israeli government has failed to conclude a deal with the Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza, with the families of captives often accusing Netanyahu of obstructing the agreement putting his political career over the fate of the Israeli captives.
Gaza Genocide Continues
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 42,126 Palestinians have been killed, and 98,117 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
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’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli 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)
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