Yesterday, Tuesday, families of Israeli detainees in Gaza collected signatures from 70 members of the Knesset on a document demanding that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government approve the current deal to release their relatives, according to the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
The newspaper said that a group of young families of Israeli detainees arrived at the Knesset building yesterday, Tuesday, with the aim of convincing its representatives to sign a document demanding that Netanyahu’s government approve the deal on the table to release their families.
She added that this group “has so far been able to collect the signatures of 70 Knesset members on the document, while they will continue their efforts today, Wednesday, with the goal of reaching 100 signatures,” out of a total of 120 Knesset representatives.
All representatives of some parties signed the document, expressing their “full support” for the deal, according to the same source.
These parties are the "State Camp" led by War Council member Benny Gantz (8 seats in the Knesset), the two religious parties "Shas" (11 seats) and "United Torah Judaism" (7 seats), and "There is a Future" headed by opposition leader Yair Lapid (24 seats). 1 seat), the “Unified Arab List” (5 seats), the “Arab Front for Change” (5 seats), and “Labor” (4 seats).
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, some representatives of the “Religious Zionism” parties led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (7 seats), “Israel Our Home” headed by Avigdro Lieberman (6 seats), and Likud (32 seats) also expressed support for the deal. It is headed by Netanyahu, while many representatives of those parties expressed “only limited support.”
The only party whose five members in the Knesset refused to express their support for the deal was Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Force), headed by extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, according to the same source.
The families of the prisoners from the aforementioned group said, in a statement, “This step represents a moment of unity in the Knesset, as representatives from a wide range of parties and sectors express their support for a step aimed at releasing the kidnapped people and returning them to their homes.”
They also published the names of Likud Knesset members who described their support for the deal as “important,” including Avi Dichter (Agriculture Minister), Gila Gamliel (Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology), Yisrael Katz (Foreign Minister), Miri Regev (Transportation Minister), and Yoav Gallant (Minister of Defense), Ron Dermer (Minister of Strategic Affairs), and Ofir Katz (Head of the Government Coalition in the Knesset).
The group said, "According to the signatures, support for the deal includes the opposition sectors, the Haredim (religious Jews), secularists, Jews, and Arabs alike. Both the coalition president and the opposition leader expressed their support for this step."
For his part, Moore Korngold, brother of the prisoner detained in Gaza, Tal Shoham, commented on the division in Likud, saying: “They are afraid to look us in the eye. They avoid it. Within Likud, members of the Knesset support the deal away from the cameras.”
He added in a statement to the newspaper: “We are trying to draw a map for everyone, and to understand that we are in a situation where everyone will support the deal that will come soon, with God’s help. We are tired and exhausted, and we just want our loved ones to return home.”
The families of the prisoners and the opposition in Israel accuse Netanyahu of "deliberately obstructing the completion of the prisoner exchange deal based on his political interests."
On Friday, Biden, whose administration provides absolute support to Tel Aviv in its war on Gaza, spoke about Israel submitting a three-stage proposal that includes a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of detainees, and the reconstruction of the Strip.
Israel did not announce a final position on what Biden announced, but Netanyahu described what the US President offered as “inaccurate,” and said, in press statements on Monday, that he did not agree to end the war in the second phase of the proposal, but only “discuss” that step. According to Tel Aviv's terms.
As for Hamas, it said through its leader Osama Hamdan, earlier on Tuesday, that Israel “did not present a new proposal,” as Biden said, but rather an “objection” to the proposal of the Egyptian and Qatari media, which Hamas received on May 5, and the factions announced. The Palestinian Authority approved it on the 6th of the same month, while Israel rejected it, claiming that it “does not meet its conditions.”
Hamdan confirmed that Hamas informed the mediators that it would not conclude any agreement with Israel regarding the exchange of prisoners unless Tel Aviv took a clear position in which it expressed its readiness for a permanent cessation of the war and withdrawal from Gaza.
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