Thousands of Israelis have gathered outside the Tel Aviv Ministry of Defense, urging the government to prioritize the release of prisoners of war still held in Gaza, instead of escalating military operations on Palestinian territory.
Saturday’s demonstrations came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government approved the mobilization of up to 60,000 reserve forces and signaled plans to intensify attacks on the besieged Palestinian enclave.
One protester raised a Netanyahu placard, which he read, “Our tyrant is a liar, and the nation is on fire for him.”
Officials have argued that the expanded military attack on Gaza will put pressure on Hamas to release the 59 remaining prisoners of war, but critics have argued that it puts their lives even more in danger. Ending the fleeting ceasefire, which saw Palestinian prisoners traded for Israeli prisoners earlier this year, has not led to a further release.
The video distributed by Hamas on Saturday was allegedly shown one of the Israeli prisoners identified by local media as Maxim Helkin. In the four-minute video posted online, Israeli attacks are seen being rescued by Hamas members after burializing and wounding Israeli prisoners.
The prisoners of war families have issued a statement that they spent a Sabbath day fascinated by “extremely uncertainty” after news of the government’s planned escalation and the effects it could have on those still being held in Gaza.
The Bring Them Home campaign, a group representing relatives, accused the move of recklessness.
“Israel is moving to sink into the mud of Gaza in the name of the illusion that it is possible to achieve victory without returning its brothers and sisters from prison,” the group said in a post in X.
They urge Netanyahu to abandon the attack and instead arrive at an agreement to ensure the return of the prisoners. “Stop this mistake,” the group said.
“Protests that are not sufficient to affect Netanyahu”
Israeli journalist Gideon Levi told Al Jazeera that while the protests have been consistent, there is no momentum to challenge Netanyahu’s coalition. “It’s the same old protest, very brave and committed, but not as big as it would affect Netanyahu,” Levy said.
He said that a large portion of Israeli society continues to support war efforts, even amid growing frustration from prison families, and that “when.” [Israelis] Called to war, they will obey. ”
Netanyahu spoke on Thursday at a public event in Jerusalem, but it seemed to suggest that defeating Hamas would remain Israel’s top priority, not a prisoner of war. “We want to bring all the hostages into the house,” he said. “There is a greatest goal in war, and the best goal is victory over our enemies and we achieve this.”
The prisoners’ families accused Netanyahu of undermining previous attempts to reach a ceasefire and exchange deals. Some believe his refusal to compromise is not a real concern about prisoners, but rather a reflection of political motivations aimed at ensuring the survival of his far-right coalition government.
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