ALBAWABA - Families of Israeli hostages protest in Tel Aviv and other towns for a Hamas prisoner swap agreement. Demonstrators accuse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of stalling discussions despite public pressure, according to Al Jazeera.
On Saturday, relatives of Gazan hostages protested in numerous Israeli communities, demanding the government hasten a prisoner swap agreement with Hamas. In Haifa, Hadera, and Tel Aviv, protesters demanded an agreement to bring their families home.
According to Al Jazeera, protestors were frustrated by stalling discussions and demanded fast action as winter endangers detainees. Protesters said time is running out for Gaza prisoners and called for further protests.
Israeli Channel 12 said that Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered negotiators to seek a limited accord under coalition partner pressure, endangering a broader agreement. Netanyahu's intervention and coalition stability emphasis halted progress, the station said.
Netanyahu told The Wall Street Journal that the fight against Hamas will continue until its annihilation. He claimed “Israel will not tolerate Hamas’s presence near its borders”.
Netanyahu's administration called these assertions "false narratives," claiming opponents were mimicking Hamas propaganda. The declaration highlighted his commitment to recapturing the detainees and attaining war goals.
Senior Hamas commander Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera that Israel rejected their ceasefire and prisoner swap proposal. Hamdan said Netanyahu was exploiting the detainees for political gain rather than their release.
Hamdan said Hamas wants an unconditional ceasefire, a total pullout from Gaza, and precise maps. “Netanyahu’s reluctance shows his unwillingness to end this chapter humanely,” Hamdan stated.
