Israel: Thousands demonstrate to demand a deal with Hamas and the ouster of Netanyahu

Thousands of Israelis renewed their demonstrations in several cities yesterday, Saturday, to demand a deal with Hamas that would lead to the release of detainees in Gaza and the holding of early elections.

The official Hebrew Broadcasting Corporation and the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper (privately) indicated that thousands of Israelis demonstrated in the cities of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Rehovot, Caesarea, and other areas, to demand the conclusion of an exchange deal with the Hamas movement, in addition to demanding early elections.

The Broadcasting Authority reported that thousands of Israelis gathered in Kaplan Square in central Tel Aviv, demanding a prisoner exchange deal.

The mother of one of the detainees in the Gaza Strip said in a statement to the demonstrators: “Netanyahu is taking another step to prevent the deal, and leaves the detainees to be killed,” according to Yedioth Ahronoth.

While the daughter-in-law of another detainee in Gaza said, “Netanyahu prefers Ministers of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over saving lives. We must end the war and bring them home.”

Thousands of demonstrators also demonstrated at the "Karkur" intersection near Haifa, and raised banners demanding the conclusion of an exchange deal and holding immediate elections, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.

Demonstration in front of Netanyahu's house

Hundreds of Israelis demonstrated in Rehovot, near Tel Aviv, and hundreds more demonstrated in front of Netanyahu's house in Caesarea, for the same reason.

In Jerusalem, the Israeli police arrested a person during a demonstration near Paris Park in central Jerusalem, demanding the conclusion of an exchange deal, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.

These protests come in light of the increasing news about the approaching conclusion of a prisoner exchange deal, which at the end of its stages may lead to an end to the war and the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army from the Gaza Strip.

There were conflicting reports in the Hebrew media earlier on Saturday about whether or not Netanyahu would send the negotiating delegation to the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The Israeli opposition accuses the Prime Minister of trying to thwart the deal.

Earlier Saturday, the private Cairo News channel quoted an unnamed high-ranking source as saying that a Hamas delegation had arrived in Cairo, noting “remarkable progress” in the truce negotiations in Gaza.

With the mediation of Egypt and Qatar and the participation of the United States, Israel and Hamas have been conducting faltering indirect negotiations for months to reach an agreement to exchange prisoners and cease fire.

Cairo is adopting a proposal it recently submitted regarding the deal, after intensifying its contacts with Hamas and Israel regarding “controversial points” between the two sides, according to Egyptian media, Thursday.

Tel Aviv estimates that there are about 133 Israeli detainees in Gaza, while Hamas announced that 70 of them were killed in random raids launched by Israel, which holds at least 9,500 Palestinians in its prisons.

Hamas is committed to ending the war that has been ongoing since last October 7, the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army, the freedom for the displaced to return to their areas, the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid, and an end to the siege, as part of any prisoner exchange deal.