Thousands of Israelis rally demanding prisoner swap deal with Hamas

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
10 Dec 2023 02:50
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Israeli settlers demand that Netanyahu's government bring back the Israeli captives from Gaza alive.

Demonstrators hold up their lit mobile phones as they gather during a demonstration calling for the release of captives held in Gaza, outside the "Tel Aviv" Museum of Art, on December 9, 2023. (Photo by MARCO LONGARI / AFP)

Israeli media reported that thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday night in what has become known as the "Hostages Square" in "Tel Aviv", calling for a prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian Resistance aimed at releasing around 140 Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip.

The protests extended across the Israeli entity to include the occupied city of Haifa, where settlers rallied and carried banners calling for the resignation of the government of Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"We hear the unnecessary sounds of war, and we see that everything happening is a waste of time," a spokesperson for the families of the Israeli captives said during the demonstration, as cited by Israeli media.

Now in Tel Aviv:

One of the biggest anti-government rallies since October 7.

Slogans like “impeachment now” and “Bibi is a criminal” fill the air.

After 16 years in power, people here tell me they no longer think Netanyahu is the right leader for Israel. Especially now. pic.twitter.com/PNFvNMGsMK
— Aya Ibrahim (@ayakibrahim) December 9, 2023

Another speaker demanded Netanyahu's government bring back the captives from Gaza alive. Meanwhile, the father of one of the Israeli captives raised an hourglass during the demonstration as a warning to Netanyahu's government about running out of time regarding this file.

Voices within the demonstration indicated that Netanyahu's government "does not care" about the Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip, affirming that they in the government "only seek revenge."

A one-week Qatari-Egyptian-mediated truce deal that ended on December 1 saw 105 captives, including 80 Israelis, released from Gaza by the Palestinian Resistance in exchange for 240 female and minor male Palestinian prisoners who were arbitrarily detained in Israeli occupation prisons.

It is noteworthy that on Friday, Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, revealed that its Resistance fighters thwarted an Israeli attempt to free an Israeli occupation soldier who is being held captive in the Gaza Strip. In detail, the Brigades said its fighters discovered the special Israeli forces, confronted it, and wounded two of its members.

The Israeli occupation military admitted that two soldiers were "severely injured" in an attempted rescue operation overnight in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, the military said two "soldiers were severely injured during an operation to rescue hostages held by Hamas."

"No hostages were rescued in this activity," it added.

This led to an Israeli raid on the area, providing the special force with a chance to escape, Hamas said. Sahar Baruch, an Israeli soldier held captive, was killed in the Israeli strike.