They demanded an exchange deal and early elections. Demonstrators block a vital street in Tel Aviv

Thousands of Israelis demonstrated, and hundreds of them closed the vital Ayalon Street in central Tel Aviv, during protests to demand a deal with Hamas to exchange its detainees, as well as the dismissal of Benjamin Netanyahu's government and holding early elections.

On Saturday, hundreds of Israeli demonstrators closed the vital Ayalon Street in central Tel Aviv, during protests in which thousands of people participated, demanding a deal with Hamas to exchange detainees and hold early elections.

The official Hebrew Broadcasting Corporation said that the demonstrators lit fires and raised banners demanding the conclusion of an immediate deal. They also demanded the dismissal of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the holding of early elections.

The Israeli police prevented the organization of a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Defense headquarters in the Kiryat area in central Tel Aviv, under the pretext that it was “illegal,” according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, which revealed that the police arrested a number of demonstrators who refused to obey its orders.

The cities of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Raanana (central) and Haifa (north) witnessed thousands of people demonstrating against the government, and they also demanded concluding a detainee exchange deal with Hamas.

The Israelis demonstrate almost daily to pressure the government to conclude a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas and hold early elections.

Qatar and Egypt, with the help of the United States, are mediating between Israel and Hamas, in order to reach a new ceasefire agreement in Gaza and an exchange of detainees on each side.

Israel says that the movement is detaining more than 125 Israelis in Gaza, while holding at least 8,800 Palestinian prisoners in its prisons, according to official sources from both sides.

A truce previously prevailed between Hamas and Israel for a week from November 24 until December 1, 2023, during which a ceasefire took place, detainees were exchanged, and very limited humanitarian aid was brought into Gaza through Qatari-Egyptian-American mediation.