'Netanyahu burying our children', Israeli settlers chant in Tel Aviv
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Israeli settlers and families of captives have been escalating protests in Tel Aviv to demand a prisoner exchange deal.
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Relatives of Israeli captives and their supporters call for their immediate release and to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government in Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, Saturday, August 17, 2024. (AP)
Israeli protesters and the families of captives held in Gaza blocked Ayalon Street, the main passage axis in central Tel Aviv, during a demonstration to demand the completion of a prisoner exchange deal with the Hamas movement.
Demonstrations held Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for his failure to achieve an agreement, accusing him of dragging settlers into a regional war instead of bringing the captives back, all for the pursuit of political power.
During the protest, whose banner was "326 days of negligence", the settlers said, "Who could have imagined that Netanyahu, after 326 days of abandoning power [his responsibilities], would dare to ask 'What deal?', about the deal he made himself?"
They further said the prisoner exchange deal was not random, but rather the 326 days and nights were, demanding an end to the war and an immediate ceasefire and prisoner exchange.
The protesting settlers held banners with slogans such as "There is no reckless deal, just surrender" and "Netanyahu is burying our children" written on them.
Read more: 'Israel' had refused Hamas offer to release captives, bodies last year
Last week, Netanyahu told senior members of the negotiating team that he "prefers the Philadelphi Axis at this time if it comes down to a choice between the hostages and maintaining control over the corridor," according to the Israeli Channel 12.
This came after Israeli media revealed that five of six Israeli captives retrieved from Gaza were killed in Israeli aggression during the ground invasion of Khan Younis six months ago.
Channel 12 cited the Israeli occupation forces as saying their attacks on Khan Younis could have killed the captives.
Meanwhile, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth revealed that the captives suffocated to death in a tunnel after a fire broke out due to the Israeli bombardment of the area.
