O The announcement came as thousands of Israelis surrounded Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to demand that Netanyahu not travel before reaching a truce agreement that would allow the release of the 116 hostages, at least 42 of whom have already died.
“No deal? No flight!” read banners that protesters placed on the doors of the air terminal.
“The lives of our brothers and sisters dying in Gaza depend on the deal. Stop boycotting it!” shouted a group of Israeli soldiers who joined the protest.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu was holding “in-depth discussions on the hostage issue with the negotiating team and senior security officials,” ordering a delegation to be ready to travel on Thursday, his office said.
On Saturday night, at another rally in Tel Aviv, former US ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides called on Netanyahu to express support for the deal proposed in May by US President Joe Biden.
The last indirect talks between Israel and Hamas took place a few weeks ago in Doha and Cairo, which gave signs that an agreement was close, but Netanyahu added demands that blocked dialogue again.
On his trip to the US, Netanyahu plans to meet with Biden, at a time when relations between the two countries are tense, despite the Americans being Israel’s main partner and arms supplier.
Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, 38,983 people have been killed and 89,727 injured, while thousands of bodies remain under rubble across the enclave, with rescue teams unable to reach them, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.
The ongoing conflict originated with an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which left 1,200 dead and 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
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Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2602103/netanyahu-retoma-negociacoes-de-treguas-com-hamas-antes-de-viajar-aos-eua
