Israelis rally outside ministers' houses demanding hostage exchange deal with Hamas

By Abdul Salam Fayez

ISTANBUL (AA) - Dozens of Israelis gathered on Sunday outside the residences of 18 officials, calling for an urgent hostages exchange agreement with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

Makan channel, associated with the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, reported: "In the morning, dozens of people assembled outside the residences of 18 coalition government members, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Transport Minister Miri Regev, and Foreign Minister Israel Katz."

The protesters also blocked the Jerusalem light rail, calling for an immediate agreement to secure the return of hostages from Gaza, the channel added.

“Demonstrations are also underway in Tel Aviv, Herzliya, and various other cities,” according to the report.

The channel quoted Settlement Minister Orit Strock as saying: “It’s uncertain whether the government will endure and fulfill its term, so we are aiming to achieve as much as we can."

On Saturday, Yedioth Ahronoth reported, citing unnamed sources, that the negotiating delegation "is set to depart on Monday to continue discussions on the deal."

According to official Israeli sources, indirect negotiations have resumed between Tel Aviv and Hamas aimed at exchanging Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners and achieving a cease-fire in Gaza.

Efforts led by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt over several months aim to broker an agreement between Israel and Hamas for a hostage exchange and cease-fire, facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. However, these efforts have been hindered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to respond to Hamas's demands to halt hostilities.

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

More than 38,000 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 87,700 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Nearly nine months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi