Israeli captives' families demand start of second phase negotiations
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Israeli settlers are demanding that their government move on to the negotiations concerning the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
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A convoy of vans and military vehicles carrying the released captives from Gaza, arrives at a military base in southern occupied Palestine, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025 (AP)
The Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Friday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "fully commit to implementing the agreement and bringing back all captives."
In a statement, the families reminded the government that it had approved a comprehensive agreement aimed at securing the return of all captives and ending the war.
The statement warned that "resuming the war would be tantamount to a death sentence for those who have not yet been released," adding, "We demand that Netanyahu stop stalling and begin negotiations for the second phase."
The plea from the families comes amidst growing political tension within the Israeli occupation. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently threatened to bring down the government if it proceeds with the second phase of the ceasefire agreement with Gaza. This phase includes a commitment to halt the war, while Smotrich advocates for its continuation to "completely eliminate Hamas."
According to the terms of the agreement, the first phase will last 42 days, with the second phase set to begin in some 37 days.
Growing support for ceasefire deal
A poll published by the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom revealed that 70% of Israelis support completing the prisoner exchange deal in all its phases. Additionally, 59% of supporters of Likud, Religious Zionism, and Shas parties expressed their approval of the deal.
The newspaper highlighted that 52% of Israelis believe the success of the exchange deal is attributed to former US President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, 17% of the survey participants stated their support for resuming the war after the completion of the deal’s first phase.
It is worth noting that a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip came into effect on Sunday, January 19. The agreement renewed hope for ending Israeli aggression and the genocidal war waged on Gaza for the past 15 months. The prolonged conflict resulted in tens of thousands of martyrs, injured individuals, missing persons, and detainees, while also displacing many residents of Gaza.
In the first prisoner exchange after the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, Hamas released three Israeli female captives, and in return, "Israel" freed 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on January 20.
In round 2, Hamas to release 4 captives for 120 Palestinians: Source
The second prisoner exchange round taking place on the seventh day of the agreement will see the release of four Israeli female captives in exchange for 120 Palestinian detainees, a senior source within the Resistance leadership told Al Mayadeen on Monday.
