Israelis protest outside Netanyahu’s home to demand swap deal with Palestinians

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Families of Israeli hostages demonstrated outside the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in West Jerusalem on Monday to demand a prisoner swap deal with Palestinian groups in Gaza.

“End war. Hostage deal immediately,” and “Hostages won’t survive another winter" were among the banners waved by protesters.

In a statement, organizers of the protest warned that the hostages “won't survive the freezing cold in the tunnels of Gaza."

Relatives of Israeli captives and opposition parties have escalated their protests against the government of Netanyahu, whom they accuse of sabotaging efforts to reach a swap deal with Palestinians to release their loved ones.

Israel estimates that around 101 captives are still being held by Hamas in Gaza, some of whom are believed to have been already killed by indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes across the densely populated enclave.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar have so far failed to achieve a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap deal, but Washington maintains that Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Oct. 18 may lead to a breakthrough in talks.

Hamas, however, says the conflict will only end when Israel stops its military campaign in the blockaded enclave, which has killed nearly 43,800 people since October 2023.

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

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar

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