Families of Israeli hostages demand swap deal this week, threaten escalation

By Said Amori

JERUSALEM (AA) - Families of Israeli hostages on Saturday demanded that their government finalize a deal with Palestinian factions this week, threatening to escalate if this does not happen.

Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas that claimed 1,200 lives and around 250 were taken as hostages. Talks for a cease-fire and a prisoner-hostage deal continue through mediators Qatar, Egypt and the US.

The families, who have protested for months, held a press conference in front of the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing a possible truce deal.

They said Netanyahu is torpedoing the deal by adding new conditions during the negotiations.

The families warned that this is the last chance to save the lives of their children, who have been held in Gaza for more than 10 months.

They also warned that failing to complete the deal "will ignite the entire region," indicating fears of a broad regional war. The deal must be finalized this week, the families stressed.

They threatened to escalate their protests across the country if the deal is not reached.

The US, Egypt, and Qatar presented a new proposal to Israel and Hamas aimed at closing the remaining gaps to facilitate the swift implementation of the deal.

According to a joint statement, the discussions held over two days in Doha were described as “serious and constructive” and conducted in a positive atmosphere.

While the mediators did not disclose specifics of the new proposal, they noted that it aligns with the principles outlined by US President Joe Biden on May 31 (three-phased cease-fire proposal), and Security Council Resolution No. 2735.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul