Tens of thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Gaza re-occupation plan and demanded the immediate release of the captives currently held by Hamas.
It has been more than 700 days since the Israeli captives were taken into custody, and despite all concessions offered to the Israeli side by peace negotiators, families have alleged that the government has made no genuine attempt to retrieve them.
Plans to occupy Gaza and establish further settlements inside the devastated enclave have drawn massive international backlash.
The international community has openly criticised the proposal as dangerous and one that would endanger the lives of the captives in Gaza.
Protesters assembled in Tel Aviv carried banners reading, "Trump, make history!" appealing to US President Donald Trump to facilitate a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.
The brother of a captive who was killed by the Israeli military in December 2023 called the Netanyahu government’s Gaza plan “dangerous and evil”.
Another family member of a captive said, "Enough! There must be an agreement! The prisoners are losing everything. The Israeli people want their children back.”
Also Read : Israel army chief Zamir urges Netanyahu to accept Gaza ceasefire
Similar protests were held in major cities such as Haifa, West Jerusalem and others.
According to intelligence estimates and Hamas statements, there are currently 50 captives in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed to be alive.
Meanwhile, Israel’s security cabinet on 8 August approved a plan to occupy Gaza City, involving the displacement of more than one million Palestinians to the south, the encirclement of the city, and its occupation following intense attacks.
Israel's war on Gaza has killed 63,400 Palestinians, including children and women, since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated 90 per cent of the enclave, triggering famine and starvation.
In November last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
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