Police suppress protesters in Tel Aviv demanding a prisoner exchange deal. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich oppose a ceasefire in the Gaza war.

This is the first security crackdown on protesters demanding the return of Israeli detainees from Gaza since the end of the Israeli aggression on Iran on June 24.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that police arrested seven demonstrators during their crackdown on a protest in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square demanding the immediate release of detainees, even if it required an end to the war on Gaza.

In a statement carried by the newspaper, police said the arrests were made on grounds of "disturbing the peace." They claimed that some protesters "forcefully stormed security barriers," sparking limited clashes and declaring the march "illegal."

Thus, the families of Israeli detainees in Gaza are once again organizing popular protests to demand the return of their loved ones, after such activities had been halted due to restrictions imposed as a result of Tel Aviv's aggression against Tehran.

On June 13, Israel, with US support, launched a 12-day aggression against Iran, targeting military and nuclear sites, civilian facilities, and the assassination of military leaders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded by targeting Israeli military and intelligence headquarters with ballistic missiles and drones.

Later, the United States attacked nuclear facilities in Iran on June 22, prompting Tehran to respond by bombing the U.S. Al-Udeid base in Qatar. Washington then declared a ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Tehran on June 24.

Back to the protests

Throughout the war with Iran, the Israeli occupation army imposed restrictions on public gatherings, halting the demonstrations that were held regularly on Saturdays, but also to a lesser extent on other days of the week.

The families announced Thursday, in their first statement since the end of the war with Iran, that they would resume organizing protests next Saturday. However, a number of them began demonstrating the same day. The families emphasized "the urgent need to capitalize on operational achievements and reach a comprehensive and complete agreement that returns all fifty kidnapped (Israeli prisoners in Gaza), men and women, and ends the fighting."

She noted that "given Israel's absolute military superiority, the absence of political achievements in Gaza that would end the longest campaign in our history and bring all our loved ones and all our soldiers home stands out as a festering wound."

Tel Aviv estimates that there are 50 Israeli detainees in Gaza, 20 of whom are still alive. Meanwhile, more than 10,400 Palestinian prisoners languish in its prisons, suffering from torture, starvation, and medical neglect, many of whom have died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.

The families' calls for renewed protests come amid regional and international analyses and calls that view the end of the confrontation between Iran and Israel as a golden opportunity to refocus attention on efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

It also coincides with statements by US President Donald Trump, in which he expressed his belief that an agreement to end the war in Gaza is "very imminent." Meanwhile, the Israeli opposition and prisoners' families assert that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is continuing the war in deference to the more extreme right-wing faction within his government, to further his personal political interests, particularly his continued rule.

Opposition to Ben-Gvir and Smotrich

In contrast, Israeli National Security and Finance Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich expressed their strong opposition on Thursday to any path that might lead to an end to the war on the Gaza Strip and negotiations leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

This comes on the heels of reports of an agreement between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump regarding the possibility of halting the war in Gaza and expanding peace agreements with Arab countries in exchange for negotiations that could lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

"It's hard for me to believe that the prime minister (Netanyahu) would repeat the mistakes of the past and enter into negotiations that could lead to the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state or dangerous concessions," Ben-Gvir said, according to Yedioth Ahronoth. He continued, "The people of Israel want victory, not new attempts to appease terrorism under the guise of peace."

He added: "The prime minister also knows that only a complete resolution (in Gaza), which includes occupation, settlement, and the imposition of sovereignty, is the true response to the Palestinian lie (referring to the Palestinian state), not withdrawals or surrender."

For his part, Smotrich opposed expanding peace agreements with Arab countries in exchange for the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying in a post on the X platform: “Expanding the Abraham Accords is great... but if this is a shiny cover for an existential threat represented by the partition of the country and the establishment of a Palestinian state twenty times the size of Gaza, in an area that geographically and topographically controls most of the territory of the State of Israel, then the answer is no! Thank you.”

In late 2020, Israel reached a set of normalization agreements with Bahrain, the UAE, Morocco, and Sudan, known as the "Abraham Accords." Meanwhile, several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, are demanding that the Israeli government agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, in accordance with the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, in exchange for normalizing relations.

Trump-Netanyahu agreement

Earlier Thursday, Hebrew media outlets, including the privately owned Yedioth Ahronoth and Israel Hayom newspapers, quoted Israeli and American officials as saying that Netanyahu and Trump had agreed to end the war in Gaza within two weeks at most, as part of a broader regional peace plan encompassing several political and security tracks.

The plan, according to officials, includes expanding the Abraham Accords to include additional countries such as Saudi Arabia and Syria, and establishing formal relations with Israel, in exchange for Israel's initial acceptance of the idea of ​​a future "Palestinian state," provided fundamental reforms are implemented within the Palestinian Authority.

No official Israeli statement has been issued regarding the Hebrew media's allegations, and none of the countries mentioned in the allegations have taken a position on the matter. However, Arab countries have previously declared their support for the Palestinian Authority's reassertion of control over Gaza, while Netanyahu rejects any role for the PA in the Strip.

Since the start of the war of extermination in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, Israeli officials, led by Netanyahu, have declared their rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state and their intention to formally annex the West Bank.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a genocidal war in Gaza, leaving more than 188,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and famine has claimed the lives of many, including children.