NIn the largest protest, in Tel Aviv, demonstrators argued that opportunities to “reach a deal that saves lives” were running out.
According to statements collected by the newspaper ‘Haaretz’, the participants warned that “military pressure on Hamas”, far from facilitating a resolution of the conflict, will only “bring the death of more hostages”.
Other cities, such as Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheba, also witnessed protests.
In Caesarea, protesters arrived at the doors of one of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residences with demands for an immediate ceasefire.
Negotiators from the US, Qatar and Egypt on Thursday demanded that Israel and Hamas “resume urgent negotiations on Thursday, August 15, in Doha or Cairo, to conclude what is left and begin implementation of the agreement without further delay.”
The current proposal is based on the principles outlined in May by Joe Biden, which include a first phase, lasting six weeks, during which there would be a full ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
On Friday, far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Netanyahu to reject the proposal as “a surrender deal.”
Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, launching thousands of rockets and incursions by armed militiamen, which killed more than 1,140 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to a tally by the France-Presse news agency, based on official Israeli figures.
About 240 people were kidnapped and taken to Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. Of these, about 100 were released in late November during a truce in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and 132 hostages remain held in the Palestinian territory, 28 of whom are believed to have died.
In response to the attack, Israel declared war on Hamas, the movement that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007 and is classified as a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States, bombing several of the group’s infrastructures in Gaza and imposing a total siege on the territory, cutting off water, fuel and electricity supplies.
The Israeli offensive has so far left 39,790 dead and 92,002 injured in the enclave, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.
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Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2613637/milhares-exigem-nas-ruas-de-israel-libertacao-de-refens-do-hamas
