TEL AVIV, July 20 Thousands of Israelis took to anti-government protests rallies in Tel Aviv and other cities demanding an immediate deal for the release of hostages from the Gaza Strip, activists called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to fly on a visit to the United States scheduled for next week until a deal is reached with the Palestinian Hamas movement, the correspondent reports.
The largest protest action, which has become a weekly event, takes place in the center of Tel Aviv near a complex of government buildings, where, in particular, the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense is located. Ambulance crews and a large police force are on the scene, blocking traffic in the city center and setting up barriers to prevent possible unrest and blocking of neighboring highways, which has happened several times in recent weeks.
“First sign the deal, then speak (in the US Congress — ed.),” says the main slogan of the current demonstration.
Protesters are convinced that the conflicting parties, through mediators, have achieved the best possible conditions for reaching an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of the 120 Israeli hostages remaining in the enclave.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid addressed the crowd of demonstrators and called on the prime minister not to fly to the United States unless he intends to announce the deal directly from the rostrum of Congress.
«Netanyahu, if you don't tell Congress about a deal to release the abductees, don't go. Go to Qatar, Cairo, or sit in your office until white smoke starts to blow and a deal is done. Don't go to Washington for another one.» show. If there is no deal, don't fly!» — Lapid said at the rally.
On Thursday, Netanyahu confirmed plans to visit the United States next week and address both houses of Congress. Media reported that a meeting with US President Joe Biden was planned during the visit, but neither the White House nor Netanyahu's office officially confirmed it. Netanyahu's statement comes amid reports that Biden has contracted the coronavirus and is in isolation.
In July, Israel and Hamas, through mediators, resumed negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages. The negotiation process has been at a standstill for more than a month since Biden, on behalf of Israel, announced a new plan to resolve the conflict in the Palestinian enclave. There have been several meetings in Doha and Cairo over the past two weeks involving delegations from Israel and mediating countries, but no concrete progress has been announced. The American publication Politico reported that the Israeli delegation did not come to the last round of negotiations.
The Israeli government continues to insist that only military pressure can force Hamas to agree to more favorable terms of the deal and release the maximum number of hostages in the first stage.
According to Israeli official data, 120 hostages are still being held in the Palestinian enclave, of which more than 40 are considered dead. During various operations and humanitarian efforts, 135 people were freed from Hamas captivity, this figure includes the dead hostages whose bodies were removed from the enclave.