Families of Israeli hostages demonstrate in Tel Aviv for swap deal with Hamas

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Wednesday to pile pressure on the government to reach an agreement for their release.

Dozens of demonstrators blocked a highway in Tel Aviv amid chants demanding a hostage swap deal with Hamas, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.

"It’s on you, don’t come back from Qatar without a deal," reads a sign held by protesters with pictures of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"There will be no normal reality while Israeli civilians are languishing in Hamas captivity," Ayala Metzger, the daughter-in-law of Yoram Metzger, who has been held by Hamas since Oct. 7, said in statements carried by The Times of Israel.

“The government must do everything to make sure the deal goes through," she added.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas resumed on Monday in the Qatari capital, Doha, to reach a truce deal in Gaza.

Hamas, which is believed to be holding nearly 130 Israeli hostages, demands an end to Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip in return for any hostage deal with Israel.

A previous deal in November 2023 saw the release of 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners in exchange for 240 Palestinians, including 71 women and 169 children.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.

Nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and more than 74,000 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul