Demand for Hostage Deal Agreement, Israeli Protesters Block Main Road in Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, MINA – Dozens of Israelis, including activists and hostage families, blocked a main road in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night to protest the failure of an initial agreement with Hamas regarding the release of hostages in Gaza.

The protesters blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to reach a hostage deal agreement with the Palestinian resistance movement.

According to the Maariv daily, the protesters shut down Ayalon Highway and demanded that the Israeli government take immediate action to negotiate a comprehensive agreement.

Families of Israeli hostages, who have been demonstrating almost every week, condemned Netanyahu in a statement, saying, “The people we love are going through a real nightmare in Hamas captivity because Netanyahu decided to leave them there.”

“Instead of ending the war through a comprehensive agreement that would bring all the captives home, Netanyahu continues to sabotage negotiations,” they added.

For over a year, Hamas has repeatedly expressed its willingness to negotiate a prisoner exchange agreement, even agreeing to a proposal put forward by U.S. President Joe Biden in May 2024.

However, Netanyahu withdrew that proposal by introducing new conditions, including the continuation of military operations in Gaza and refusing to withdraw Israeli forces. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)