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Rabat – Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Sunday to demand an immediate deal to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, Israeli media reported.
Organized by the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, the protests were sparked by the news that six hostages had been found dead in Gaza.
Protesters blocked major autoroutes and intersections, including the Ayalon Highway and the entrance to Jerusalem (Al-Quds), causing significant disruptions. The demonstration, initially focused in Jerusalem, shifted to Tel Aviv where an estimated 300,000 people gathered, according to the Hostage and Missing Families Forum.
The tension escalated as protesters set bonfires and clashed with police, who arrested 29 individuals and cleared the highways. According to reports, a policewoman was injured in the process, as was Knesset member Naama Lazimi, who was struck by a stun grenade thrown by police. Both were taken to the hospital for treatment, according to The Times of Israel.
The demonstration also featured speeches from various figures, including family members of the hostages and leaders of labor unions and the Kibbutz Movement. They called on the government to prioritize a hostage deal before more lives are lost.
This comes after the recent round of ceasefire talks failed to make any progress towards a halt to the violence and a hostage agreement between Hamas and Israel. These stagnated talks took place in August, and were mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US in Doha and Cairo, with the aim of bridging the gaps between the two parties.
They eventually presented a new “bridging proposal” that, according to the US, Israel has accepted. However, Hamas strongly rejected the new deal, on the grounds of a disagreement on the insistence that Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) will remain in the Gaza Strip after the ceasefire. The Palestinian group argues that this new deal deviates from the proposal President Joe Biden presented in May, which was later endorsed by the UN secretary Council.
In addition, the group criticized the US for succumbing to Israeli pressure.
The original proposal stipulates that Israel would completely withdraw its forces from Gaza, a term that Benjamin Netanyahu strongly opposes. Another point of contention is the fact that Israel insists on maintaining control over the Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of land that separates Gaza from Egypt.
