Right-wing groups, including bereaved families, protest pending hostage release deal

Demonstrators block entrance to Jerusalem, camp out near Netanyahu’s office, warning agreement endangers national security by freeing terrorists and could leave most hostages behind

Israeli protesters carry mock coffins draped in the national flag of Israel during a protest against the ceasefire with Hamas outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on January 16, 2025. (John Wessels / AFP)
Israeli protesters carry mock coffins draped in the national flag of Israel during a protest against the ceasefire with Hamas outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on January 16, 2025. (John Wessels / AFP)

Right-wing protesters demonstrated Wednesday night and Thursday against a deal for a truce in the Gaza war that would see the release of at least some of the Israeli hostages held by terror groups in the Palestinian enclave, warning that the terms of the agreement may endanger national security by releasing many convicted Palestinian terrorists while leaving some hostages in captivity and Hamas intact.

The protests included demonstrators from a group of families bereaved during the 15-month war who camped out in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem Wednesday night. Hundreds returned to the spot Thursday to rally against the deal in hopes of convincing ministers meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to oppose the agreement.

“Bibi wake up, Jewish blood is not cheap!” a crowd of Orthodox teenagers chanted, using Netanyahu’s nickname.

Other protesters blocked the main entrance to the capital, while in Tel Aviv thousands demonstrated in favor of a deal, gathering on streets that had seen almost daily protests on behalf of the hostages for the last 15 months.

The deal, indirectly negotiated between Israel and Palestinian terror group Hamas, was announced by various officials on Wednesday, but must still win the approval of Israel’s government before it can be formally signed. Though the exact terms have not been published in full, once the deal’s implementation begins, Hamas will gradually release 33 Israeli hostages over the first 42 days of the ceasefire. It is not known how many are still alive, but Israel believes most are.

The rest of the hostages, numbering 65, will only be freed if the sides can agree on a second phase for the truce, negotiations for which will begin some two weeks into the halt in fighting.

Right-wing youths protest against a hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas, outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, January 16, 2025. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)

While Hamas claims the deal is a permanent end to the war and officials have said mediators have assured the terror group they will apply pressure for the truce to continue, Israel says nothing is guaranteed and fighting could resume.

War erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led thousands of terrorists in an attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 hostages of all ages abducted to Gaza. Israel believes 98 hostages remain in Gaza, including four held there for around a decade.

Right-wing demonstrators protest against the hostage-ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas on January 15, 2025. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)

The anti-deal push was being led by the Gvura Forum, representing families of soldiers killed during the war, and the Tikva Forum, which campaigns on behalf of families of hostages who oppose releasing terrorists in exchange or other concessions.

The Tikva Forum said in a statement that it was “concerned” about the deal.

“Consider those who will be left behind, those who will not return, and those who will be killed in future terror attacks” before voting to approve the deal’s framework Thursday, the group asked of cabinet members.

The Gvura Forum said its encampment at the PMO was aimed at “calling on cabinet ministers, who have a national responsibility, to stop this dangerous deal at the last moment.”

“This is a time of national emergency, ” Gvura forum chair Yehoshua Shani, whose son was killed in the fighting, said in a statement.

Elkana Weitzen, brother of slain soldier Amichai Weitzen, speaks against the hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas at rally on January 16, 2025. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)

“The deal being signed at this very minute will bring disaster upon us,” he warned. “It will leave 70 hostages behind and will endanger national security.”

As part of the deal, Israel will release around a thousand Palestinian security prisoners, including over 150 terrorists convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis.

Protesters placed dozens of coffins covered in Israeli flags at a major intersection in the government quarter, saying the caskets represented the Israelis who will end up dying because of the deal. The boxes were later carried by protesters marching to the Knesset.

Mock coffins draped with Israeli flags are set up in the street as part of a protest against the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem, January 16, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Hundreds of protesters also marched to the Knesset Thursday, calling on lawmakers to block the deal.

“With God’s help, we will make the right decisions for the sake of the State of Israel,” Religious Zionism MK Moshe Solomon told the crowd, as his party mulled whether to bolt the coalition in protest over the agreement.

During the rally, some youth torn down banners advocating for a deal set up by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a vast coalition of hostage families.

Zvika Mor, the father of hostage Eitan Mor told the crowd he had asked to speak at a Religious Zionism meeting to discuss the party’s position on the deal but was turned away.

“Dissolve the government, you must not let that deal be approved,” Mor said in a pre-recorded statement. “This deal will leave my son behind in Gaza for many more years — I’m not prepared for that to happen.”

People walk past pictures of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, in Jerusalem, January 12, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Earlier, protesters marching to the PMO derided the deal as a surrender to Hamas that stands to harm the “honor of the Jewish people.”

“We all know that this deal will only weaken the Jewish people,” said the brother of soldier Amichai Weitzen, who was killed in the fighting.

Another protest sponsored by the Gvura and Tikva forums was planned for Thursday night outside Netanyahu’s office, touted as an “emergency demonstration to stop the deal.

“We are excited, like the entire Israeli people, when we see the hostages returning home after a long and cruel captivity,” the Tikva Forum said Wednesday, but nevertheless cautioned that “this deal is dangerous, both for the hostages who will remain in captivity and for the entire Israeli people.”

The group likewise warned that the agreed-upon deal, which will see the hostages released in phases, will “effectively leave dozens of kidnapped people behind and pave the way for the next massacre and more hostages.”

Religious Zionism MK Moshe Solomon prepares to give brief remarks at anti-hostage deal protest outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on January 16, 2025. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)

“We will not stop or remain silent until we ensure the return of all the hostages, the safety of Israeli citizens and the IDF soldiers, who may pay the most terrible price of all,” it added, urging government members to resign in protest of the deal.

In contrast, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the group representing the majority of families of hostages, welcomed the deal while adding that its fight wouldn’t end until all 98 hostages are returned to Israel from captivity in Gaza.

“This is an important and significant step that brings us closer to the moment when we will see all of the hostages return — the living for rehabilitation with their families and the fallen for a proper burial in their country,” the forum said. “However, the journey has only just begun and will not end until the last hostage is returned.”

The group demanded that the government remain committed to ensuring “the full implementation of the agreement until the last hostage is returned.”

“The announcement of the signing [of a deal] does not allow for joy or relief among the families. Our breath will be held until all our loved ones return home,” it said.

Demonstrators take part in a protest calling for the release of Israelis held hostage in Gaza by Hamas, in Tel Aviv on January 15, 2025. (Jack Guez/AFP)

Meanwhile, dozens of right-wing demonstrators protesting the deal blocked traffic under Chords Bridge at the entrance to Jerusalem Wednesday night.

Police tried to haul the protesters, mostly young Orthodox men, off the pavement and onto the sidewalk, but many of the demonstrators returned to the center of the road chanting: “Conquest, expulsion, settlement,” referring to the Gaza Strip and far-right hopes of establishing Israeli settlements in the enclave.

There were no reports of arrests and the road was eventually reopened.

There is opposition to the deal within the government too. Far-right cabinet members National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have both threatened to bolt the government over the deal.

While Ben Gvir has already publicly said he will take his Otzma Yehudit party out of the government — but not bring it down — Smotrich on Wednesday said he would take the same course with his Religious Zionism party unless the ceasefire enables an eventual return to battle with the aim of achieving the war’s stated goal of completely destroying Hamas’s military and governance capabilities.

Demonstrators protest against the emerging hostage release deal with Palestinian terror group Hamas outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, January 15, 2025. Banner reads ‘Release of terrorists, bloodbath.’ (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The party appeared to back his position on Thursday following the faction meeting.

“The faction stands behind the demands… to ensure Israel’s return to the war to destroy Hamas and the return of all the hostages, including a change in the concept of decisive victory, immediately upon the conclusion of the first phase of the deal,” the party declares in a statement — adding that this is the “condition for the party to remain in the government and coalition.”

Even with opposition from Ben Gvir and Smotrich, there are still a majority of ministers in the cabinet to approve the deal.

Religious Zionism party head MK Bezalel Smotrich (right) with head of the Otzma Yehudit party MK Itamar Ben Gvir at a vote at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on December 28, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot earlier told the Kan public broadcaster that the party would likely resign from the government in protest of the deal with Hamas, adding that the Religious Zionism party was “here to change the DNA of the State of Israel.”

The governing coalition would still retain a slim majority of 61 seats if the seven Religious Zionism MKs were to resign. But without Otzma Yehudit’s additional six lawmakers, it would be left with a minority in the 120-seat Knesset.

Ben Gvir has said that even if he pulls out of the government, he will not bring it down.

Ultranationalist deputy minister Avi Maoz, who represents the single-member Noam party, said in a statement Thursday that he would oppose the ceasefire deal, while saying he also opposes toppling the government over the matter since this would grant Hamas one of its alleged goals in the war.

Maoz contended that even before signing the deal, the government should fire the IDF chief of staff, the Southern Command chief, and the head of Military Intelligence, whom he holds responsible for failures that enabled the Hamas attack.

Ninety-four hostages have been in captivity since the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught in southern Israel, while two others — Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed have been held captive by the terror group since 2014 and 2015 respectively. Hamas has also held the bodies of slain IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul for over a decade after they were killed in the 2014 Operation Protective Edge.

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