Thousands rally nationwide, urge PM not to leave for US before finalizing hostage deal

Anti-government protesters gathered in cities across Israel on Saturday night, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to depart for a planned visit to Washington the next day until he has first signed a deal with the Hamas terror group to facilitate the return of the hostage from Gaza.

The largest demonstrations were staged in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Caesarea, with thousands participating at each.

Speaking in front of Israel’s military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan, 24, is a hostage in Gaza, declared that there is one person who stands between the families of those held captive and their loved ones, “and that is the prime minister, to whom it is more important to save his seat than it is to save lives.”

Hamas terrorists kidnapped Matan from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, when thousands of terrorists invaded southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, triggering the ongoing war.

Talks for a deal, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US, have failed to free the hostages since a weeklong ceasefire in November that saw Hamas release 105 captives in return for 240 Palestinian prisoners. However, progress has been made in recent weeks, with the US declaring that Israel and Hamas have agreed on a framework for a deal but still have obstacles to overcome.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made new demands in recent weeks — maintaining IDF presence in the Philadelphi Corridor to prevent weapon smuggling from Egypt to Gaza and the creation of a mechanism for preventing armed Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza — that have slowed the talks, Arab and Israeli officials involved have told The Times of Israel.

“There is a deal on the table that’s been ready to be closed for several weeks. And we’re standing here today, after another wasted week, in which Netanyahu again torpedoed [the deal] and dragged his feet,” Zangauker said on Saturday.

The families of hostages have led protests every Saturday night almost since the beginning of the war to put pressure on the government to strike a deal for the captives’ release.

Protesters are expected to demonstrate Monday at Ben Gurion Airport as Netanyahu departs.

Before he does, the premier is slated to huddle with the Israeli hostage negotiating team, according to a source in Netanyahu’s office.

Mati Danzig, the son of captive Alex Danzig, 75, announced at the Tel Aviv rally that if Netanyahu leaves for the US without announcing a hostage deal, a group of hostages’ relatives will also travel to Washington and publicly declare that Netanyahu is “the obstacle to a deal.”

Several relatives of hostages are planning to travel to the US as part of Netanyahu’s entourage, including Noa Argamani, 26, who was herself held hostage for 245 days until Israeli special forces rescued her and three other captives in an operation last month.

Other hostages’ relatives have called on Argamani not to travel to Washington with the prime minister unless a deal is reached first.

Among those also set to fly with Netanyahu are Ditza Or, whose son Avinatan, 30, is a hostage; Bat-Sheva Yahalomi, whose husband Ohad, 49, is held, and relatives of the Bibas family, including Yarden Bibas’s father.

Alon Gat, whose sister Carmel Gat, 39, is in Hamas captivity, told the Ynet news site that he turned down an invitation from Netanyahu to fly with him to Washington, as he fears the prime minister is endangering his sister’s life by intentionally delaying a hostage deal.

“Netanyahu invited me on the flight and at first, I thought it could help, that we would be able to impact things,” he said. “I believed that on the flight, he would announce that he was signing the deal.

“But as the deadline approached, we realized that this wasn’t going to happen, and instead the opposite is true — he is hindering progress and isn’t making any decisions.”

Gat said that he believes other families currently expected to fly with Netanyahu’s delegation will join him in his decision.

“I couldn’t live with myself knowing that I was traveling with him and that at that time, God forbid, something had happened to Carmel. I know that Netanyahu is taking his time. I don’t know how he lives with himself,” he added.

Yifat Calderon, the cousin of hostage Ofer Calderon, 53, expressed support on Saturday for Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, defense officials, and Israeli negotiators, and urged them not to allow Netanyahu to torpedo a deal.

“If Netanyahu again sabotages a deal, come out to the public with the truth,” she said.

Hebrew media reported on Friday that Gallant was considering declaring the deal “within reach” to increase pressure on Netanyahu to accept it. The premier’s far-right coalition partners, however, have threatened to bolt the government if the deal goes through.

Eight hardline MKs from Netanyahu’s Likud party also sent him a letter over the weekend pledging not to back the hostage deal being discussed by Israel and Hamas unless significant changes are made to the proposal. None of them will be needed to approve the deal, however, as they don’t sit on the cabinet.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid addressed the largest crowd of the night, at the protest movement’s central demonstration on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv.

“Now, Netanyahu is traveling to speak to Congress. He has one final opportunity, to go to Congress, and to announce there, from that stage, that he’s going for a deal. If he doesn’t announce that he’s accepting the deal, why is he going?” Lapid said.

“Go to Qatar, go to Cairo,” he continued, referring to cities where Israeli representatives have been negotiating with Hamas through intermediaries. “Don’t go to Washington to put on another show. If there’s no deal, don’t go!”

Lapid predicted the imminent fall of the government, telling the crowd, “If it doesn’t happen now, it will happen during the most disgraceful and unnecessary recess in Israel’s history” — referring to the Knesset’s summer break, from the end of July to October 27 — “and if it doesn’t happen during the recess it will happen in November at the latest. But it will happen when the Knesset returns.”

Former US ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, who served in that office from 2021 to 2023, also spoke at the Kaplan demonstration.

“Mr. Prime Minister, tell them you support President Biden’s plan to bring [the hostages] home now,” Nides said. “Mr. Prime Minister, tell them you’ll do whatever it takes to bring them home now.”

As the Tel Aviv protest winded down, several masked individuals — believed to be far-right provocateurs — were filmed hurling stones at the anti-government demonstrators.

אלימות !! חבורת ביביסטים עכשיו זורקים אבנים על מפגינים בתל אביב pic.twitter.com/MEGMiMTrrq

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— לירי בורק שביט (@lirishavit) July 20, 2024

Nearby, mounted police officers descended on Ayalon Highway to disperse protesters who briefly attempted to block traffic. One person was detained.

In Jerusalem, thousands of demonstrators, incensed over Netanyahu’s planned trip, marched with a banner that read: “No flight without a deal.”

The protesters came to a standstill at the city’s Paris Square, adjacent to Netanyahu’s official residence, and continued to chant before the start of a joint hostage families and anti-government rally.

“Only an end to the war will bring the hostages home,” said Mai Alvini-Peri, the grandson of Haim Peri, who was abducted by Hamas from Nir Oz on October 7 and confirmed dead by the IDF in early June.

“An end to the war will also bring an end to the government,” Alvini-Peri added. “So you all can understand why this war is continuing so long, and why there still isn’t a hostage deal.”

It is believed that 116 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — including the bodies of 42 hostages confirmed dead by the IDF — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that.

Seven hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 19 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.

One more person has been listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is unknown. 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.