Frustration erupts as thousands of Israelis protest the government’s failure to secure the release of captives in Gaza. Approximately 750,000 people have taken to the streets in one of the largest protests in Israel’s history, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration negotiate a deal to free the remaining captives.
This massive demonstration follows the Israeli Army’s recent announcement that it had recovered the bodies of six captives from a tunnel in southern Gaza. Families of the captives and advocacy groups are blaming Netanyahu and his government for not securing a truce to facilitate their release.
Currently, more than 100 captives remain in Gaza, with the Israeli military estimating that about one-third are likely deceased. In November, Hamas released 105 captives in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The captives were taken by Hamas fighters after an attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in at least 1,139 deaths. In response, Israel has conducted extensive military operations in Gaza, resulting in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths and widespread destruction. Additionally, more than 600 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, and nearly 10,000 Palestinians have been detained.
