2024-04-08 06:28:32
- The authorities are sending delegation yes negotiates peace in Egypt
- Netanyahu’s army withdrew from the southern Gaza Strip
Thousands protested in Israel this Saturday to once again demand the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as the return home of nearly 130 hostages taken on October 7 after a bloody attack by Hamas.
As the war in Gaza marks 6 months, huge crowds have joined the families of the captives in demanding that the government conclude a cease-fire deal in the Gaza Strip and bring the hostages home.
Between 45,000 and 100,000 people took to the streets of Tel Aviv according to various sources. Thousands joined the call for early elections also in Jerusalem, Haifa and dozens of cities across the country. In Caesarea, protesters gathered in front of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s home.
Among the speakers at Democracy Square in Tel Aviv were survivors and witnesses of the atrocities of “Hamas”. On October 7, Palestinian terrorists killed 1,200 civilians and took 253 hostages, about 130 are still in the Strip – it is unclear how many of them are alive.
“My protection, security and trust were taken away – everything I took for granted. And no one came to apologize,” Anat Gilor, a survivor of Kibbutz Sha’ar Negev, where 15 people were killed, told thousands of demonstrators. She demanded immediate elections and vowed never to forgive the government.
Huge crowds waved Israeli flags and held lighted torches. Then they gathered in a circle and lit a fire. Others waved anti-government signs and chanted “Elad, we’re sorry,” mourning the slain hostage Elad Katsir, whose body was found by Israeli forces earlier. The army said Katsir was killed in mid-January by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
However, the man had previously appeared in a hostage video that was shared online. The sister of the murdered man, Karmit Katsir, blamed the government for her brother’s death. And she added that if the authorities had made peace in time, her brother would be alive now.
“Elad Katsir managed to survive 3 months in captivity. He was supposed to be with us today. He could have been with us today,” said a protester.
There were clashes with the police and several forced arrests. A car surrounded by the crowd drove off, injuring 5 people. A female police officer was injured during the protests – a protester inadvertently hit her in the nose after being pushed and falling backwards. Law enforcement initially released a statement blaming the man for the incident. They later retracted the claim, admitting that the demonstrator had not acted maliciously. This happened after a video was shared on the X social network, which clearly shows what is happening. There were comments that the Israeli authorities were lying even when it came to their own citizens.
Against this backdrop, the government announced on Sunday for the first time that it was sending a delegation to Cairo for talks led by Qatar, Egypt and the US on a ceasefire in the enclave. Until now, Israel boycotted the negotiations because of unfulfilled conditions on the part of “Hamas”.
Surprise! The army of Netanyahu withdrew from south of the Gaza Strip
The Israeli army withdrew its ground troops from the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday morning, leaving only one brigade to secure a corridor separating the Palestinian enclave, The Times of Israel reported.
According to a military spokesman, only one brigade remained in the Strip – i.e. about several thousand soldiers. It should provide a corridor that crosses Gaza from the Beeri area in southern Israel to the coast of the Strip. The corridor allows Israeli forces to carry out attacks in northern and central Gaza, and also prevents Palestinians from returning to the north. Through it, humanitarian organizations deliver aid to the north.
The army has been reducing its numbers since the start of the year under increasing pressure from Washington to improve the humanitarian situation as well as to relieve its own reservists. The withdrawal comes as a new round of talks begins in Egypt to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.