By Janet Ekstract, NEW YORK – On Sunday, August 17, in mass protests across Israel, Israeli protesters attempted to shut down the country, demanding a deal to free the hostages. Thousands of Israelis stood in solidarity, en masse, with a plethora of flags and photos of the hostages, also to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to take over Gaza City. Protests have been continuing for weeks in Israel, which have been largely ignored by Netanyahu and his far-right coalition government. This was one of the largest and most vociferous protests in the last 22 months of the war. The organizers were members of the hostage’s families said hundreds of thousands of people took part in the protests. At least 20 hostages are thought to still be alive and Israelis fear Netanyahu’s plan to take over control of Gaza City will endanger their lives. Even former Israeli intelligence chiefs and military heads are calling for and to the fighting as well.
Meanwhile, a new ceasefire deal is in the works with Netanyahu pushing for releasing all the hostages at one time. Hamas said it will release the remaining hostages only in return for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a lasting ceasefire and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. The Associated Press was told last week by Arab officials that mediators Egypt and Qatar are preparing a new framework for a deal that would release all remaining hostages in Gaza without phased stages. This framework also includes a plan for a lasting ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Earlier this week, a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for ceasefire talks. Netanyahu’s plan to take over Gaza City and forcibly displace at least two million Palestinians have been met with international condemnation and outrage Netanyahu told the press that he wants all of the hostages returned, the ones who are dead and those who are still alive. Netanyahu insists that even after the war ends, that Israel will maintain open-ended security control over the entire territory. In addition, Israel has called for Hamas to disarm but Hamas has refused to do so
The U.N. last week, warned that starvation in the enclave of Gaza is at its peak and that the flow of aid into the territory, needs to be boosted exponentially in order to get people the aid they need. Israel was blocking a majority of food, medical aid, fuel and other items for the past three months. A major Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and called attention to the killing of aid workers, journalists and civilians seeking food at aid distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) which has come under fire by multiple agencies and eyewitnesses for shooting at civilians as they try to obtain food. GHF is supervised by U.S. contractors whose teams have been accused of abuse against Palestinians at aid sites.
Meanwhile, a new ceasefire deal is in the works with Netanyahu pushing for releasing all the hostages at one time. Hamas said it will release the remaining hostages only in return for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a lasting ceasefire and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. The Associated Press was told last week by Arab officials that mediators Egypt and Qatar are preparing a new framework for a deal that would release all remaining hostages in Gaza without phased stages. This framework also includes a plan for a lasting ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Earlier this week, a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for ceasefire talks. Netanyahu’s plan to take over Gaza City and forcibly displace at least two million Palestinians have been met with international condemnation and outrage Netanyahu told the press that he wants all of the hostages returned, the ones who are dead and those who are still alive. Netanyahu insists that even after the war ends, that Israel will maintain open-ended security control over the entire territory. In addition, Israel has called for Hamas to disarm but Hamas has refused to do so
The U.N. last week, warned that starvation in the enclave of Gaza is at its peak and that the flow of aid into the territory, needs to be boosted exponentially in order to get people the aid they need. Israel was blocking a majority of food, medical aid, fuel and other items for the past three months. A major Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and called attention to the killing of aid workers, journalists and civilians seeking food at aid distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) which has come under fire by multiple agencies and eyewitnesses for shooting at civilians as they try to obtain food. GHF is supervised by U.S. contractors whose teams have been accused of abuse against Palestinians at aid sites.
