In Cairo, there is a struggle to agree a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. In Tel Aviv, thousands of demonstrators are exerting pressure. Many fear that this could be the last chance for the hostages.
Thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other places in Israel for an agreement to release the hostages held by the Islamist Hamas. Speakers at the rally under the slogan “You could have saved them” accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of preventing a deal by constantly imposing new conditions. Mounted police stopped the demonstration in front of the Ministry of Defense.
According to reports, the main point of contention in mediation talks between Israel and the Islamist Hamas in Cairo between the USA, Egypt and Qatar is the question of how long Israeli troops will be allowed to remain stationed in the Gaza Strip, especially in the so-called Philadelphia Corridor on the border with Egypt.
According to Israeli figures, Hamas still has 109 hostages in its power. 36 of them have been declared dead, 73 are still considered alive, an Israeli government spokeswoman said on Thursday. In total, Palestinian terrorists kidnapped more than 250 people from Israel to the coastal region on October 7 last year.
“It looks like this is the last chance. Either there is an agreement or an escalation” of violence, the Times of Israel newspaper quoted Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, as saying.
Former hostage Aviva Siegel, whose husband is still held by Hamas, called on Netanyahu to keep his word. “You looked me in the eyes and promised to bring Keith home. I no longer believe in words – I want to see actions,” she said at the demonstration.
During a week-long ceasefire at the end of November, Hamas released 105 hostages. In return, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from prison. It is unclear whether another agreement of this kind can be reached.
A Hamas delegation did travel to Cairo. However, the Islamist organization also announced that, as before, it would not participate directly in the talks, but would only be informed about their progress.
The head of the Israeli foreign intelligence service Mossad, David Barnea, and the head of the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, had already traveled to the Egyptian capital on Thursday.
However, according to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu had sharply attacked his own negotiators. “They are showing weakness and are only looking for ways to capitulate, while I (…) am not prepared to give in to demands that would compromise security,” he was quoted as saying by the “Times of Israel”.
