Protesters Demand That Israeli Government Strike a Deal with Hamas for the Release of Hostages
On December 28, 2024, thousands of protesters descended upon Tel Aviv in a bid to force the Israeli government to concentrate efforts on retrieving hostages from Gaza held by Hamas. A protest held weekly expressed growing frustration from the public over the hostage situation in that many wanted the government to compromise on negotiations for a deal to free the hostages.
After more than a year of stalemate, there are reports that Israel and Hamas are inching closer toward a cease-fire agreement in their bid to end the 14-month war. Senior officials of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt resumed mediation efforts this month, reporting that both sides were showing more readiness to clinch a deal.
The Hostage Crisis and Public Outcry
The latest attack by Hamas militants targeted the south of Israel in October 2023, where they rounded up about 250 people and killed at least 1,200. At a November 2023 truce, more than 100 hostages were released in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons. Israel now says that about 100 hostages are still being held captive in Gaza, but reports are that at least a third of them may already be dead.
The protests, which are led by the hostages' families, have become increasingly emotional and politicized. Ofek Shaul, brother of Oron Shaul, who was killed during Israel's 2014 war with Hamas, said that "it is the moral and ethical duty of the state to return the remains of soldiers who were killed in action." Shaul's brother's remains are held in Gaza.
"The State of Israel must return the living abductees, but not them alone," said Shaul. "It is obliged to return those no longer alive, too."
A Cry for Leadership Change
Protestors have also called for the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom many are accusing of putting his political survival ahead of hostages' lives. The prolonged conflict coupled with Israel's bombarding and ground invasion of Gaza saw a massive escalation of criticism toward Netanyahu over how he handles the situation.
The military offensive has caused massive casualties, with over 45,000 Palestinians killed—more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The devastation has left Gaza's population displaced, with nearly 90% of its 2.3 million people forced to flee their homes multiple times due to the destruction.
A Divided Nation
As protests continued, the question of how Israel should handle the hostages remained at the center of public debate. Ella Ben-Ami, whose father is one of the hostages, articulated the anguish felt by so many in the country when she said, "I am here today crying out not only for the kidnapped, not only for my father, but for my country. The wounded and bleeding country that needs light, that needs miracles."
The ongoing protests reflect a deeply divided nation, torn between hopes for a resolution to the hostage crisis and the political turmoil surrounding the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu. With growing pressure from below and international mediators, too, the hope might be that a breakthrough in negotiations will soon bring about an end to the hostage suffering and their families.