Anti-war Israelis stage major rally in Tel Aviv, call for ceasefire in Gaza
Thousands of demonstrators in Tel Aviv, Israel's largest commercial city, have urged the government to reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas and secure the release of the remaining hostages.
The demonstrators staged a major rally on Saturday, and they called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
They said the Israeli military's operations in Gaza are putting the lives of the hostages at risk and aggravating the suffering of the residents in Gaza.
The people urged the government to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas.
One woman said that the government should end the military operations because there are no winners in a war.
An Israeli think tank released the results of an opinion poll on Friday. About 50 percent of the respondents said the military operations in Gaza will not lead to the release of the hostages or the elimination of Hamas.
The poll appears to reflect strong public opposition within Israel to the military operations.
On Saturday, the Israeli forces announced that they had retrieved the body of a Thai man who had been taken hostage by Hamas. The announcement came as the forces continued their attacks in Gaza.
Health authorities in the enclave said on Saturday that 95 people had been killed during the previous two days.
The Israeli government has been pressing ahead with the military offensives. It notes that its aim is to increase pressure on Hamas that will lead to a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.
Progress has not been made in the negotiations, and the gap between the two sides is still wide.
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