Tens of thousands attend Tel Aviv rally calling on Netanyahu to finalize hostage deal

Tens of thousands of Israelis participate in a huge rally in Tel Aviv calling for a deal to bring about the release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, and accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of having deliberately stymied such an agreement in the past.

Numerous family members of hostages are taking part in the demonstration and calling on Netanyahu to finalize a deal immediately.

Mor Shoham, the brother of Tal Shoham who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri, says he’s worried the government will “make the worse mistake in its history” and forgo the best opportunity to free the hostages that there might be, referring to the latest push to secure an agreement.

“Tal is still there, I don’t know what he’s drinking, or eating, when the last time was he saw the light of day, if he knows what happened to his children, how much time he has left, but I don’t think it’s very long,” says Mor.

“No one thinks we can rescue 115 hostages in a military operation… ‘Deal now’ is not a slogan like ‘total victory,’ it’s an action plan, the only one there is. Netanyahu, sign a deal now!”

Some protesters highlight their demand for an immediate deal through provocative displays, including an individual in a Netanyahu mask leaning over another person representing a dead and bloodied hostage next to a banner that reads “I added clauses, hostages died. Sorry.”