This comes just hours after the families of Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip sent a letter to Chief of Staff Major General Eyal Zamir, warning that the plan to occupy Gaza City "will not return the kidnapped soldiers, but will kill them."
Channel 12 reported that a protest march headed toward Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem "after the families of hostages held by Hamas gathered on a bridge in the city." The report explained that the families of Israeli prisoners and others gathered at the Metzer Bridge in Jerusalem to head on a long march toward Netanyahu's home to demand a prisoner exchange deal.
The channel quoted Vicki Cohen, the mother of Israeli captive Nimrod Cohen, on its website, saying, "Netanyahu must end this nightmare and return all the kidnapped (prisoners) to their homes."
Israeli protesters held up signs demanding a deal, including the slogan "Enough," to signal the need to end the war on Gaza and return prisoners from the territory.
For its part, the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that thousands flocked to the Prisoners' Square in Tel Aviv, adding that around 1,000 Israelis demonstrated at the Karkur Junction in Haifa to demand a prisoner exchange deal.
Editor's Picks
Tel Aviv says it is "seriously studying" a new proposal from Trump for a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.
Among them are dozens of Turks.. 150 activists prepare to participate in the "Resilience Flotilla" after its arrival in Tunisia.
Coming from Yemen... Two injured as drone crashes at Israel's Ramon Airport
Hamas discusses efforts to end the war with Palestinian factions in Cairo, and Hebrew media reports that Witkov is offering a comprehensive deal.
Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli occupation army ordered Palestinians in Gaza City to quickly evacuate "without inspection" to the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, which it claimed was a "humanitarian zone." The army announced the expansion of the "ground maneuver" in the city as part of Operation "Gideon 2," which aims to completely occupy it.
After more than three weeks of intense bombardment, the Israeli occupation army officially announced last Wednesday the launch of Operation Gideon 2, a full-scale occupation of Gaza City. This operation sparked widespread criticism and protests from Israelis, fearing for the lives of prisoners and soldiers.
Since the announcement of the operation, protests by the families of Israeli prisoners have escalated, pressuring the government to conclude a prisoner exchange deal, even if it leads to an end to the war of extermination in Gaza.
Tel Aviv estimates that there are 48 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, 20 of whom are still alive. More than 10,800 Palestinians are languishing in its prisons, suffering from torture, starvation, and medical neglect, many of whom have been killed, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving 64,300 Palestinians dead and 162,005 wounded, most of them children and women. More than 9,000 are missing, hundreds of thousands are displaced, and 376 Palestinians, including 134 children, are facing famine.
