Mass public protests demanding a Gaza hostage deal and fresh elections were expected Saturday evening throughout the country, as high-stakes indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas continued for an agreement on a Gaza ceasefire and a release of captives.
A large demonstration was expected on Tel Aviv’s Begin Road, outside IDF headquarters. At the same time, a four-day march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem organized by several hostages’ families was to culminate in the capital with a rally outside the Prime Minister’s Residence.
Relatives have intensified their demonstrations, saying the recent resumption of indirect negotiations may be the last chance to bring hostages home alive.
But reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now hardened his demands, ostensibly banking on a weakened Hamas being eager for a ceasefire, has angered relatives.
“We are horrified and shocked by this irresponsible behavior that is likely to lead to missing an opportunity that may never come back,” the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said in a statement Friday. “By the time everybody comes to their senses and works together, there may be no one to bring back.”
“Every minute is an eternity for us and every second is hell for them. We appeal to the prime minister: we stand behind the [previously announced] Netanyahu deal. Now it’s your turn to stand behind the deal you put on the table.”
Talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States have so far failed to secure an agreement for the release of hostages held in Gaza and a ceasefire since a weeklong truce in November that saw Hamas free 105 people kidnapped during its October 7 onslaught. However, there has been renewed optimism about the talks after Hamas dropped its demand that the framework include an upfront commitment from Israel to end the war during the first phase — though the terror group is still demanding a commitment to that effect from mediators.
But Netanyahu in recent days has appeared to alter previous positions, demanding an enforcement mechanism to prevent armed Hamas operatives from returning to northern Gaza and calling for Israel to retain control along the Gaza-Egypt border,
An official involved in the talks told Channel 12 news on Friday that Israel was facing a “moment of truth for the hostages,” saying a deal could be reached within two weeks.
“The prime minister’s insistence on building a mechanism to prevent the movement of armed operatives [to northern Gaza] will stall the talks for weeks and then there may not be anyone to bring home,” the official added.
According to the Walla news site, Netanyahu raised the issue during a meeting with the negotiating team on Thursday night. The negotiators reportedly told Netanyahu that they were opposed to the new condition and it was unfeasible, but the premier was said to insist on it.
In recent months, the central anti-government protest in Tel Aviv has taken place in conjunction with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum rally calling for the release of their loved ones. During the war, protest groups have also doubled down on their opposition to legislation exempting yeshiva students from military service, which critics describe as a power grab by Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox coalition partners.
One hundred and sixteen hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza; the IDF has confirmed the deaths of 42 of them.
Hamas is also believed to be holding the bodies of two IDF soldiers killed in 2014, as well as two civilians, presumed to be alive, who entered of their own accord while suffering from mental illness in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Agencies contributed to this report.