Saturday, April 6, 2024

Thousands of people gather in Tel Aviv to demand a deal to release the hostages

 

    A gathering of thousands of people in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv, Israel, April 6

Opponents of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say around 100,000 people have rallied to demand a deal to release hostages in Gaza and against the government.

Demonstrations erupted in other Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv, after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recovered the body of hostage Elad Katzir.

Protesters at the rally chanted "elections now" and "Elad, we're sorry," local media reported.

Sunday marked six months of the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine. Family members of hostages in Gaza joined anti-government protesters in Israel.

Protesters expressed frustration over the Israeli government's inability to free about 130 hostages held by Hamas and its allies in Gaza.

The IDF recovered Elad's body from Gaza on Saturday. On October 7, Hamas attacked southern Israel and took him and others hostage to Gaza.

Elad was seen alive in a video released by Hamas last January.

Protester Noam Perry told a BBC reporter, 'Elad managed to survive three months in captivity. He should have been with us today. He could have been with us today.'

Organizers said protesters rallied in about 50 locations across Israel.

Anger is brewing among Israelis over Prime Minister Netanyahu's failure to free the remaining hostages in Gaza. This outrage has led to a series of large-scale anti-government protests in Israel demanding his resignation.

A car plowed into Tel Aviv protests. Five people were injured. The cause of this incident is unclear.

Exactly six months ago today, Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. Since then, the brutal Gaza war began.

Negotiators plan to meet in Cairo, Egypt as part of efforts to reach a ceasefire.

According to some media reports, US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani will join Egypt, Israel, Hamas negotiators.

Elad's sister Kermit Palti Katzi blamed Israeli authorities for her brother's death in a social media post. Elad would have returned alive if they had agreed to a new cease-fire agreement, he said.

"Our leadership is cowardly and driven by political considerations," Kermit wrote on Facebook. That is why this agreement has not yet been done.

An October 7 attack by Hamas killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians.

Since then, Israel has started military operations in Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 33,000 people have been killed in Israeli strikes. Among them are many women and children.

According to Israeli accounts, 253 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage during the October 7 Hamas attack.

About 129 hostages still remain in Gaza. At least 34 of them are believed to have died. The IDF recovered 12 bodies.

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