Protests against Netanyahu: Thousands of Israelis demonstrate: “Bring the hostages home”

After the suspected death of another Israeli hostage in the Gaza Strip, thousands of people took to the streets again to demand the release of those kidnapped by the Islamist Hamas. “To our beloved hostages, if you can hear us, everyone here loves you. Stay strong. Survive,” activist Rachel Goldberg-Polin said in Tel Aviv. Her son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was kidnapped by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and murdered there around three months ago.

“Focus on the most important mission: bringing the hostages home,” his father Jon Polin said to policymakers. “Don’t make accusations, don’t point fingers. Just be human beings.” At another rally in the coastal metropolis, hundreds of people protested against Israel’s government, which they accused of prolonging the Gaza war and thereby endangering the lives of the hostages. In Jerusalem, too, numerous people demonstrated again for an agreement with Hamas that provides for the release of the hostages.

Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition partners reject an agreement with Hamas

They see Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a major obstacle to such an agreement. In his fragile coalition, the prime minister relies on right-wing extremist and ultra-religious partners who are strictly against a deal with Hamas. Netanyahu is also personally interested in keeping his government alive for as long as possible. In the event of new elections, the head of government would not only risk losing his office – the corruption investigations against him could also pick up speed again.

The fate of the Hamas hostages has been affecting Israel for over a year. In the massacre by the Islamist Hamas and other terrorist groups in Israel on October 7, 2023, around 1,200 people were killed and 250 others were kidnapped as hostages to Gaza. It is estimated that around half of the approximately 100 remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip are still alive.

Hamas spokesman: Another Israeli hostage dead

The Islamist Hamas had previously announced that an Israeli woman who had been kidnapped in the Gaza Strip had been killed. Another female hostage was critically injured in an attack by Israeli forces in the north of the coastal area, the terrorist organization’s spokesman, Abu Obaida, said in the Telegram channel of the Al-Qassam Brigades – the military wing of Hamas. He referred to the women’s guardians. The information could not initially be independently verified.

The Hamas spokesman did not provide any information about the identities of the two hostages. It was also initially unclear when exactly the attack was said to have occurred. According to him, there had been no contact with the guards for weeks. Members of the military are in contact with the family of the woman who was allegedly killed, the Israel Defense Forces said.

US Secretary of Defense Austin speaks with Israeli colleagues about hostages

The hostages also came up in a conversation between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli colleague Israel Katz. Austin emphasized the U.S. commitment to the release of all hostages, including U.S. citizens, according to a statement from the Pentagon. The US Secretary of Defense also called on the Israeli government to take further steps to improve the catastrophic humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip. Austin also reiterated that the United States is committed to a diplomatic solution in Lebanon that allows Israeli and Lebanese civilians to safely return to their homes on both sides of the border.