Since October 7, demonstrators, including hostage families, have been gathering every week to demand the release of the hostages and express their dissatisfaction with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which they consider partly responsible for the current situation.
On Saturday evening, these gatherings took a rather violent turn between the demonstrators and the police. The demonstrators lit a bonfire on Begin Street in Tel Aviv, and the police intervened to extinguish it.
A police commander described the rally in support of the hostages as illegal and asked the demonstrators to disperse. This was the first time such demonstrations had been held.
Members of the hostages’ families took turns to speak, adopting a more combative tone than in previous weeks.
The brother of one hostage called for the hostages to be freed “by force,” if necessary. Former hostage Raz Ben Ami declared: “Prime Minister, in the name of the hostages, men and women, and in the name of the people of Israel, order the Qatar negotiators not to return without an agreement. Do not return without an agreement.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing internal pressure and the anger of demonstrators as he has yet to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
SB
