Thousands of Israelis take to streets demanding a hostage deal

TEL AVIV (DPA): Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Saturday, demanding an agreement that would allow around 120 hostages still held by Hamas to come back to Israel.

Participants in the rallies accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging the indirect talks with the Islamists to reach an agreement.

“Netanyahu is killing the hostages,” read a huge banner carried by demonstrators in Tel Aviv. One of the speakers, a former hostage, said, “I may seem OK on the outside, but the pain weighs on me more than anyone can imagine.”

He was one of the lucky ones who had been held captive in a house and not in a tunnel. “So if I suffered brutal conditions and abuse, what about the other 120 hostages?”

Thousands demonstrated in Jerusalem outside Netanyahu’s residence and in the seaside resort of Caesarea outside one of Netanyahu’s villas, according to reports.

Smaller rallies were held in Haifa, Beersheba and Herzliya.

Several hundred relatives and supporters had marched on foot from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem over the past four days.

The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented terrorist massacre of more than 1,200 people in Israel, killed by militants from Hamas and other groups on October 7. Up to 250 were kidnapped to Gaza, and some 120 may be still alive.

Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive. In view of the high number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, Israel has come under international criticism.

Negotiations to release the hostages have stalled for months as Qatar, Egypt and the US act as mediators to try and bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and an exchange of the remaining hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails.