Hundreds of Israelis demonstrate outside Netanyahu’s home to demand prisoner swap deal with Palestinians

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Hundreds of Israelis demonstrated outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in West Jerusalem on Monday to demand a prisoner exchange agreement with Palestinian factions in Gaza.

The demonstration coincided with the first anniversary of Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 42,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured 97,100 others since last year.

Waving photos of Israeli captives in Gaza, protesters called on the Israeli government to strike a prisoner swap deal with Palestinians, Haaretz newspaper reported.

Israel estimates there are 101 hostages held in Gaza, while Hamas has announced that many captives have died due to indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.

Despite ongoing mediation efforts with various proposals to end the war and facilitate a prisoner swap, Netanyahu continues to impose new conditions.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Mossad Chief David Barnea have previously warned that these conditions hinder efforts to reach an agreement with Hamas.

Hamas calls for an end to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza for reaching any prisoner swap deal, a demand rejected by Netanyahu.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last October, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul