Time is running out for those kidnapped by Hamas. Prime Minister Netanyahu is insisting on demands that stand in the way of their release. Can pressure from the streets make a difference?
Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities for the conclusion of an agreement to release around 100 hostages held by Hamas. “Your time is running out,” said the relative of a hostage shot by the Islamist extremists at the rally in Tel Aviv. “We must not sacrifice any more lives, we must not sacrifice them (the remaining hostages).”
Hamas terrorists killed Carmel Gat, another woman and four men last week with close-range gunfire. The Israeli military found their bodies in a tunnel in Gaza last Sunday. “The six would be here with us today if (Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) had said yes to a deal,” Gat’s relative shouted to the crowd with sadness and anger in her voice.
Hamas and other Islamist terrorist groups invaded southern Israel on October 7 last year, killing more than 1,200 people and taking about 250 others hostage in the Gaza Strip. The unprecedented massacre triggered the Gaza War.
According to Israel’s count, 101 people are still held captive by Hamas, although it is unclear how many of them are still alive. Indirect negotiations for their release, mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar, have been going in circles for months without any results. The desired deal would also include an end to the war, the withdrawal of the Israeli military from the Gaza Strip and the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons.
Critics accuse Netanyahu of trying to torpedo the conclusion of such an agreement with excessive demands – such as the permanent presence of the Israeli military in strategic locations in the Gaza Strip. The prime minister governs in a coalition with right-wing extremist parties that reject any concessions to Hamas and threaten to collapse the government coalition.
According to media reports, further demonstrations took place in Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba, Naharia and Caesarea, among others.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
