Protests have erupted outside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem, with families of hostages held by Hamas taking a stand. Demonstrators are camped in front of the PM’s residence, protesting the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza. Families express concerns that Israeli strikes could be putting the lives of the hostages at risk.
The demonstration includes relatives of 48 individuals held captive in Gaza. Parents of Matan Zangauker, Matan Engrest, and Rom Braslavsky, among others, are sleeping on the streets. Denied permission to set up tents, they are spending the night in sleeping bags, and the families of the hostages have declared they will not leave.
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The Israel-Hamas war has led to 65,000 deaths.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the capture of over 250 civilians as hostages. According to Palestinian health officials, more than 64,000 people have died in Israeli attacks in Gaza. The Israeli attacks have caused 1.9 million Palestinians to be displaced.
Regarding the Gaza ceasefire agreement:
Hamas announced in August that it had agreed to a deal involving a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, the handover of 10 living and 18 deceased hostages to Israel. In return, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. However, Netanyahu said any agreement would only be accepted if all his conditions were met, including Hamas disarming and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. Despite this, the hostages have not been released even after a month.