Israelis Hold Nationwide Protests and Strike to End the Gaza War
Protesters blocked big highways across the country on Sunday morning—the start of the working week in Israel—as part of demonstrations that will take place in more than 300 different locations and are expected to draw hundreds of thousands of Israelis, according to organizers. Major Israeli universities and some businesses and tech companies said they would strike for the day in support of the families.
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NBC News
28 minutes ago
- NBC News
Hundreds of thousands protest Gaza war as frustration grows in Israel about new offensive
TEL AVIV — In the plaza that Israelis have christened 'Hostage Square, ' hundreds of thousands of people banged drums, shouted slogans and booed mentions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others in his right-wing government. Some held pictures of those still in captivity in Gaza, others vented their frustration over plans for a new military offensive in some of the enclave's most populated area s that many Israelis fear could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages, 20 to 50 of whom are believed to be alive. Among the demonstrators at Sunday's protest was Ruby Chen, the father of Itay Chen, an Israeli American soldier who was among the 1,200 killed in the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and whose body remains in Gaza. 'The Jewish Bible speaks about the Jewish life,' Chen told NBC News. 'Life comes before revenge, and that is exactly what we are asking for this government to remember.' The protest in Tel Aviv on Sunday was one of dozens organized nationwide, including outside of politicians' homes, at military headquarters and on major highways. Demonstrators blocked lanes and lit bonfires. Some restaurants and theaters closed in solidarity. Police said they arrested 38 people. The nationwide marches were on the same day as a general strike called by organizations representing relatives of those still in captivity. One of those groups, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, said in a statement that nearly 1 million people had attended rallies nationwide. In Hostage Square, the boisterous atmosphere softened as former hostages and family members of those still being held took to the largest of three soundstages to demand the release of the remaining hostages. Around 250 people were taken hostage on Oct. 7. Many of the speeches, signs and prepared videos appealed directly to President Donald Trump in English, pleading with him to compel Netanyahu to 'seal the deal' with Hamas. While Sunday's protests were among some of the largest and fiercest in 22 months of war, smaller demonstrations held on a weekly basis have yet to sway the government to end the conflict, which Netanyahu has said he is determined to continue until Hamas is completely destroyed. The prime minister and his top officials poured scorn on Sunday's demonstrations. 'Those who today call for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas's position and delaying the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of Oct. 7 will be repeated,' the prime minister told his Cabinet on Sunday. His ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, one of the Cabinet's most hawkish right-wing voices, in a post on X called the protests a 'toxic and harmful campaign that plays into the hands of Hamas, buries the hostages in tunnels, and tries to bring the State of Israel to surrender to its enemies and endanger its security and future.' Their government's approach appears to have the backing of Trump. 'We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed,' he wrote Monday on Truth Social. 'Play to WIN, or don't play at all!' While Israeli media reported that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met with senior officials on Sunday to finalize the plans for the expanded operations in Gaza, it remains unclear when the country's military will begin the new offensive in the north of the enclave and in what Netanyahu has called the 'central camps' of Gaza. The U.N. humanitarian office said last week that 1.35 million people were already in need of emergency shelter items in Gaza, so any armored incursion could displace hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom have been uprooted multiple times during a war that has killed more than 62,000 people, according to health officials in the Hamas-run enclave. Two children were among five people who died of malnutrition-related causes, the Gaza Health Ministry said Monday, bringing the total number of malnutrition-related deaths to 263. The United Nations also warned that levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest since the war began. Much of the aid destined for Gaza has been prevented from entering since Israel imposed a total blockade in March after ending a ceasefire. Deliveries have since partially resumed, though aid organizations say the flow is far below what is needed. In Hostage Square, some held up pictures of emaciated Palestinians, but many simply wanted an end to the fighting and a deal to free those hostages who remain in Gaza. 'I'm sure that most of the Israelis are here with us now,' said Keren Leibovitz, 54, whose son Tomer was killed on Oct. 7, 2023, while he was serving in the Israeli military. Leibovitz added that before Israel worked on completely defeating Hamas, the majority of her countrymen 'want the war to end and they want the hostages to come back.'
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Hamas Said to Agree to Gaza Truce Deal Proposed by Egypt, Qatar
Hamas has agreed to a deal to pause the militant group's war with Israel in Gaza, according to two officials with knowledge of the situation, fueling optimism that a long-awaited breakthrough in negotiations could be close. The proposal would see Hamas release half of the hostages it still holds from the October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the conflict, one diplomat briefed on the negotiations said, in return for the freeing of Palestinian prisoners and a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hamas 'agrees to ceasefire-hostage deal' with Israel, senior official says
Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire-hostage deal with Israel, according to a senior official. Egyptian and Qatari mediators have been holding talks with Hamas in their latest effort to broker a ceasefire with Israel in Gaza. The Hamas official did not provide further details of the agreement or what had been accepted. Hamas has responded positively to such deals in the past, while proposing amendments which have proved unacceptable to Israel. Sky's International Correspondent Diana Magnay in Jerusalem said the agreement appears to be similar to the plan put forward by Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, for a 60-day ceasefire deal. "What we understand from Hamas, in relation to this deal, is that it would be within the 60-day ceasefire framework, but it would be a release of prisoners and detainees in two parts. "What we understand from Arab channels is that Hamas agreed to it without major alterations," she said. An Egyptian official source told Reuters that, during the ceasefire, there would be an exchange of Palestinian prisoners in return for the release of half of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza. There has been no word from Israel about the proposed ceasefire. Diana Magnay said it is clear that mediators from Egypt and Qatar, potentially along with Hamas, felt under pressure because of Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to push further into Gaza City, "and that's why you've had mediators over the weekend in Cairo trying to get some kind of plan on the table." "So the big question is, will Benjamin Netanyahu agree to this? We shall have to see whether it is his intention at any point to agree to a ceasefire or whether this is just too late now and he will use the opportunity to push on in Gaza," she added. Earlier on Monday, US President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on peace talks. "We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be," he posted on his Truth Social site. Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said mediators had been "exerting extensive efforts" to revive a US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, during which hostages would be released and the sides would negotiate a lasting cessation of violence. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the latest version. You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
