Politics Thousands demonstrate in Israel for hostage agreement

Thousands of people have demonstrated in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and other Israeli cities for an agreement to release the approximately 100 hostages still held by the Islamist Hamas.

Speakers at various rallies accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of preventing a deal through his blockade stance.

Thousands of Israelis marched in front of Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem. "The time for a deal has come, and the time has come for (early) elections," shouted former diplomat Eran Etzion to the crowd, as reported by the Times of Israel. The deal is on the table, he said, and Netanyahu is only blocking it "for political, personal and criminal reasons".

On October 7, 2023, terrorists from Hamas and other groups from the Gaza Strip murdered around 1,200 people in southern Israel and kidnapped another 250. More than 100 of them were released during a brief ceasefire in November. Many of the 100 remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip are probably no longer alive.

Netanyahu has governed in a coalition with ultra-religious and far-right partners since the end of 2022. They are strictly against making concessions to Hamas. His opponents accuse Netanyahu of clinging to his coalition partners because he could lose in new elections. The loss of the highest government office would in turn accelerate the prosecution of corruption cases in which Netanyahu is allegedly involved.

Indirect talks mediated by the USA, Egypt and Qatar on the release of the hostages and a ceasefire in the Gaza war have been at a standstill for months. A final round of negotiations in Cairo on Saturday brought no progress, as reported by Israeli media.