After the latest round of ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza war, thousands of people in Israel demonstrated again for a hostage agreement.
During a meeting, the mother of a hostage held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas called on Israeli security leaders to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from torpedoing a deal, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
The mediating states Qatar, Egypt and the US hope that an agreement will lead to a ceasefire and the release of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.
“Even though this is not a perfect deal, it is the only deal there is,” the father of one of the hostages said at a rally.
Protests took place in the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv, in Haifa and in many other places in the country.
Many protesters accuse Netanyahu of sabotaging a deal and bowing to the demands of his ultra-religious and far-right coalition partners. They oppose making concessions to Hamas, which Netanyahu depends on for his political survival.
The protesters again demanded the government’s resignation and new elections.
In the event of new elections, Netanyahu could lose the job of prime minister, which would in turn accelerate the prosecution of alleged corruption charges against the prime minister.
The talks brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the US failed to produce a breakthrough on Friday and were postponed, but were described as constructive.
The indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails have been dragging on for months.
