Tel Aviv, MINA – Israeli occupation police forcefully dispersed a protest at Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square on Thursday, arresting seven demonstrators who called for an immediate prisoner exchange with Palestinian factions in Gaza, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
The protestors urged the Israeli government to prioritize the release of hostages, even if it meant ending the ongoing war.
Police claimed the arrests were due to “disrupting public order” and said that some demonstrators “forcibly breached security barriers.” The protest was then declared illegal, resulting in limited clashes.
This was the first demonstration focused on the hostages since Israel’s 12-day campaign of airstrikes and missile attacks on Iran, which concluded on June 24. During the military escalation, restrictions on public gatherings were enforced, halting regular demonstrations by hostage families.
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The families of hostages released a statement Thursday, marking the end of the conflict with Iran and announcing the resumption of weekly protests starting Saturday, although some already began that day.
Currently, Israel estimates that 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with only 20 believed to be alive. Meanwhile, over 10,400 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons under harsh conditions, with rights groups reporting torture, starvation, and medical neglect.
Key Israeli ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, strongly oppose any deal that could lead to a ceasefire, threatening to collapse the government if such an agreement is reached.
Critics, including opposition leaders and hostage families, accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of prolonging the war to maintain political power and appease far-right coalition members.
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Since October 2023, the Israeli military offensive in Gaza has killed nearly 56,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
Also Read: Israeli Opposition: Gaza War at a Dead End, Urges Hostage Deal
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