WEST BANK (Dispatches) – Thousands of Israelis demonstrated Saturday in Tel Aviv, demanding the return of captives from the Gaza Strip as part of a “comprehensive agreement” with Hamas.
The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that protesters called for a “comprehensive and not selective deal” that would lead to the release of all detainees in the besieged enclave, alive or deceased.
Several family members of the captives participated in the protest, chanting slogans that dismissed any partial deal that might limit the release to a small number, according to the daily.
A number of relatives also gave speeches, urging pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime to expedite the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement without delay.
The Zionist regime claimed that Hamas made “unacceptable” changes to a Qatari proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
“The changes that Hamas is seeking to make in the Qatari proposal were conveyed to us last night and are unacceptable to Israel,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
“In light of an assessment of the situation, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our captives – on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to – be continued,” it added.
The statement noted that the negotiation team will leave Sunday for Qatar to hold talks.
Hamas announced late Friday it submitted its response to mediators regarding the proposal after completing internal consultations with Palestinian factions and forces.
The Palestinian resistance group described the response to the proposal as “positive” and confirmed its “serious readiness to immediately enter a round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing” the proposal.
Mediators are optimistic about bridging the gaps between the two sides, paving the way for an agreement.
Netanyahu is scheduled to leave for Washington early Sunday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Haaretz.
Tel Aviv estimates that there are 50 captives, 20 of whom are held captive in Gaza. More than 10,400 Palestinian prisoners are held in Israeli jails, subjected to torture, starvation and medical neglect, which has resulted in many deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, the Zionist regime has pursued a genocidal war against the coastal enclave, killing more than 57,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children, since October 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former war minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the blockaded territory.
The occupying regime also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.