Rallies in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem demand ‘cabinet of death’ reach hostage deal
Marchers carry sign saying ‘there’s no rebirth without a deal,’ referencing PM’s desired name change for war; marking Yom Kippur, protesters ask for hostages’ forgiveness
Michael Horovitz is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel
Hostage families and their supporters rallied Thursday in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in support of a deal to free their loved ones and protested what they view as government inaction in reaching an agreement.
Demonstrators marched from Habima Square to the Kirya military base carrying various anti-government banners, one of them reading “A year of abandonment, there’s no rebirth without a deal,” referencing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s desire to change the official name of the war with Hamas from “Swords of Iron” to the “War of Revival.”
Protesters also held up signs demanding an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, and labeling several ministers, including Netanyahu, as members of the “cabinet of death,” criticizing their ongoing opposition to a deal as fatal to the captives.
In Jerusalem, protesters gathered in front of the Great Synagogue and called out the names of hostages. They asked them for forgiveness for being left in captivity, ahead of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.
Talks for a hostage deal have been deadlocked for several months. Hamas has demanded a complete withdrawal of the military from Gaza and a permanent end to the war, while Israel has refused any arrangement that would allow the terror group to retain control of the Strip and rebuild its military strength.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar reportedly reestablished contact with Qatari mediators recently, after being silent for several weeks because he believed Israel was uninterested in reaching a deal, although it doesn’t appear he has softened his stance.
White House Mideast czar Brett McGurk said Wednesday that Sinwar remains the main decision maker in the terror group and is likely hiding in an underground Gaza tunnel with hostages in his vicinity.
It is believed that 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 37 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.
