Thousands of Israelis join anti-govt rallies, call for deal
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Negotiations regarding a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange deal are ongoing in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, and are expected to continue through the weekend.
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An activist wears theatrical blood, bound wrists, and his mouth taped and holds a book depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a protest demanding an exchange deal Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024 (AP Photo)
Thousands of Israelis have joined anti-government protests in the Israeli occupation in Tel Aviv and other cities, demanding a captive agreement, the Times of Israel Reported.
At the start of the rally, settlers demanded occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reconsider "Israel'" demands that are obstructing a ceasefire, such as control over the Netzarim and the Philadelphi corridors.
The reports described the demonstrations as the largest since October 7, and the occupation police prevented the demonstrators from crossing into the settlement center, to prevent the demonstrators from blocking the nearby highways.
The Times of Israel reported that opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "go to Cairo yourself," during a protest in Tel Aviv.
“Prime minister, go to Cairo yourself, don’t send anybody. Close a deal now,” Lapid states.
Negotiations regarding a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange deal are ongoing in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, and are expected to continue through the weekend.
#شاهد | تظاهرة حاشدة للمستوطنين في "تل أبيب" للمطالبة بإبرام صفقة تبادل أسرى. #الميادين pic.twitter.com/wAevGbwx4Z
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) August 24, 2024
Hamas firmly rejects "Israel's" continued control over the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors and the Rafah crossing in the Gaza Strip, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Al Mayadeen on Friday.
Hamdan emphasized that the Palestinian Resistance demands "practical measures regarding what was previously agreed upon, not more negotiations," noting that Hamas has not yet received a definitive response regarding the Israeli position.
Demonstrators think that this new round of discussions is the final chance to free captives and if it fails, they anticipate the situation to worsen.
A senior Palestinian Resistance official earlier told Al Mayadeen that the mediators have reached new formulas for approaching the contentious points between Hamas and "Israel".
According to the source, the points of contention are the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Netzarim and Philadelphi corridor and the Rafah crossing, as well as the issue of Palestinian detainees in a possible prisoner exchange deal.
"Israel" insists on rejecting [the names of] about 65 detainees with sentences of life imprisonment, the source indicated.
The Israeli occupation refuses to completely withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor in the first phase of a potential deal and insists on the presence of military sites along the border, the source added.
Netanyahu gov. sinking in chaos as Gallant, Ben-Gvir clash in debate
Israeli Minister of Security Yoav Gallant and Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir engaged in a heated exchange of blame on Friday over the deepening crisis facing the Israeli occupation. The growing strain on the occupation’s resources, compounded by the ongoing war, has not only magnified its losses but also exposed the increasing dysfunction within its government.
As the war drags on, the blame game between top officials highlights the mounting sense of failure and the internal fractures within "Israel’s" leadership.
The exchange of accusations between Gallant and Ben-Gvir encapsulates the broader state of division and disarray within Netanyahu’s government, as well as within the Israeli political landscape as a whole, according to Israeli media reports. The escalating internal divides underscore the deepening fractures and instability plaguing the occupation government amid the ongoing crisis.
Gallant described Ben-Gvir as "irresponsible and a threat to Israeli national security due to his support for the terrorism of Israeli settlers."
On X, Yoav Gallant publicly backed the head of the General Security Service and its personnel, directly criticizing Ben-Gvir's actions as "irresponsible" and a major contributor to the growing internal division within Israeli society. He warned of the grave consequences that could arise from Ben-Gvir’s reckless behavior, emphasizing that such actions are exacerbating an already volatile situation.
In response, Ben-Gvir fired back with a post targeting Gallant: "You promised to return Lebanon to the Stone Age, yet you're turning northern Israel into the Stone Age instead. Rather than attacking me on X, start targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon."
On Thursday, the Israeli Channel 12 reported that the head of the Israeli Security Agency issued a stark warning last week to senior Israeli officials regarding the threat of "Jewish terror" driven by extremist settler violence in the occupied West Bank, after a deadly attack by settlers on the Palestinian village of Jit, east of Qalqilya.
