Thousands of Israelis take to streets after IOF killed 3 captives
3 Min Read
The protests came in response to the Israeli forces killing three captives in Gaza for "mistakenly" thinking they were Resistance fighters.
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Families and friends of Israeli captives held by the Resistance in Gaza blocking "Kaplan" Street in "Tel Aviv" calling for an immediate prisoner exchange with the Palestinian Resistance on Friday, December 15, 2023. (social media)
Thousands of Israeli captives' families protested on Friday evening in "Kaplan" Street, now known as the "Hostages Square" in "Tel Aviv", demanding that their government restart negotiations for a new prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian Resistance, according to Israeli media.
The demonstrators started their protest at the entrance to the Ministry of Security and the General Staff Headquarters in "Tel Aviv," blocking roads following the announcement that three Israeli captives were shot and killed by occupation forces in the al-Shujaiya neighborhood, after "mistakenly" identifying them as Resistance fighters from Hamas' Al-Qassam.
Following news that Israel killed 3 captives in Shujaiya, families of captives and supporters hold emergency protest outside military HQ in Tel Aviv demanding Netanyahu make an immediate deal with Hamas.
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) December 15, 2023
“All of them now!”
“Today we learned what happens when there is no deal”… pic.twitter.com/FzeqUXl9IJ
A one-week Qatari-Egyptian-mediated truce deal, which 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.
Read more: New Israeli witness affirms IOF tanks killed settlers on October 7
A former journalist at Maariv stated, "You won't hear about this in the news; prisoners' families are now coming out for a spontaneous night of protest and anger... The demonstrators are raising their voices, emphasizing that they want the prisoners alive, not in coffins or in the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute."
"I don't know how the night will end, I don't know how many will join the Saturday night protest, but one thing is certain: the families no longer believe the government's lies," he stressed.
Israeli media also noted that among the protesters was Reserve Brigadier General Noam Tibon.
On Friday, the families threatened to begin a hunger strike after Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to meet with them, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
The newspaper reported that 100 families of Israeli captives held in Gaza accused Netanyahu of working to divide their ranks "so that he does not respond to their demands."
Read more: Evacuated Israeli settlers refuse to return to north or south
Commenting on the Israeli army's killing of the three captives, Netanyahu said, "The killing of the three prisoners is a tragedy beyond measure, and all of Israel is mourning tonight."
Meanwhile, Israeli media reports suggest that the occupation entity is still far from resolving the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
Amnon Abramovich, a political analyst on the Israeli Channel 12, suggested that the problem lies in the "politicians' slogans or lofty goals," referring to the stated objectives for the war, which include "the liberation of prisoners and ending Hamas as a military and prevent it from holding power in Gaza."
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
