In Jerusalem, families of hostages held by Hamas are protesting outside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence. The families have set up a demonstration in front of the PM’s residence, opposing Israeli military operations in Gaza City. Their primary concern is that Israeli attacks are endangering the hostages.
Included in the demonstration are relatives of 48 individuals who are held captive in Gaza. Family members, including the parents of Matan Zangauker, Matan Engrest, and Rom Braslavsky, are sleeping on the street. Because the police denied permission for tents, the families spent the night in sleeping bags and have refused to leave.
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The Israel-Hamas conflict has resulted in 65,000 fatalities.
Hamas initiated an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to the deaths of 1,200 Israeli citizens and the capture of over 250 civilians as hostages. According to Palestinian health officials, over 64,000 people have died in Israeli attacks in Gaza. Approximately 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced due to the Israeli attacks.
Concerning the Gaza ceasefire agreement:
Hamas stated in August that they agreed to a deal that would involve a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, during which 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased hostages would be given to Israel. In exchange, Israel would free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu stated that any agreement would only be accepted if all his demands were met, which included Hamas disarming and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. Yet, after a month, the hostages are still not released.