Thousands of Israelis take to streets to demand hostage swap deal with Palestinians factions

By Said Amori

JERUSALEM (AA) - Thousands of Israelis demonstrated Saturday in Tel Aviv to demand a hostage swap deal with Palestinian factions and early elections, according to media reports.

Tens of thousands participated in the central demonstration held weekly in Kaplan Square in central Tel Aviv, demanding an immediate hostage swap deal leading to the release of hostages in Gaza, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.

The families of the hostages urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to adopt a deal announced Friday by US President Joe Biden.

They addressed demonstrators in Tel Aviv with several speeches, saying: “Say yes to the deal,” according to the newspaper.

The demonstration in Tel Aviv is expected to expand, with additional protests anticipated in other cities and areas across Israel.

US President Joe Biden said Friday that Israel presented the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, with a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in the besieged Gaza Strip and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave.

Biden appealed to Hamas to accept the deal and urged Netanyahu to resist pressure from members of his governing coalition opposed to the plan.

Netanyahu's office reiterated on Friday his intention to continue the country's offensive in the Gaza Strip until all of Tel Aviv's war goals are achieved.

Hamas said it would "respond positively to any proposal that includes a permanent cease-fire, a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction efforts, the return of the displaced, and the completion of a comprehensive hostage exchange deal."

Israel continued its brutal offensive on Gaza despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave.

Nearly 36,400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its onslaught nearly eight months ago. The majority of those killed have been women and children, with more than 82,400 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid Israel's crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.​​​​​​​

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala ​​​​​​​