Amidst intermediaries emphasizing the need to advance ceasefire negotiations and develop a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip, protests continue to dominate the situation. Thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday in the cities of Tel Aviv and Qesariya, demanding a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas. Family members of Israeli prisoners held in the Gaza Strip stated that the deal could not be made without the overthrow of Benjamin Netanyahu's government, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
The report added that the protests in Tel Aviv were the largest in Israel since October 7. It also confirmed that thousands of Israelis demonstrated in downtown Tel Aviv, demanding an immediate prisoner exchange deal and the overthrow of Netanyahu's government through early elections. Protesters held up a picture of the captured soldier, Naama Levy, as a symbol of the female soldiers, calling for her return from Gaza.
The newspaper noted that around 2,000 Israelis protested in downtown Qesariya, demanding a prisoner exchange deal before moving to Netanyahu's home in the city. Former Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz also participated in a demonstration calling for a prisoner exchange deal in the Negev region of southern Israel. It is expected that the frequency of protests against Netanyahu's government will increase across Israel in the coming hours.
Family members of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza stated during a press conference held in front of the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv that a prisoner exchange deal cannot be reached without the overthrow of Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Channel 13 in Israel reported that families of the prisoners said their loved ones are dying in captivity because Netanyahu does not want a prisoner exchange, realizing that their return means his exit from power.
The issue of ending the war and finding a governing authority in Gaza after the conflict remains one of the main stumbling blocks or disagreements between the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, the American administration, and Hamas. Netanyahu insists on completely eliminating Hamas before seeking to establish a post-war phase, a stance that has also sparked disputes with the military. For its part, Hamas has held Israel responsible for the failure to reach an agreement, stating that it will never accept a deal that does not end the war.
