Israelis stage mass protests to demand Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal

Israelis took to the streets on Tuesday, blocking highways, burning tires and rallying outside ministers' homes to demand a ceasefire in Gaza that would secure the release of hostages still held in the enclave.

The "National Day of Struggle" was organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents relatives of the captives. The group urged the public to step up pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers to advance truce talks. However, far-right members of Netanyahu's coalition have threatened to resign if Israel agrees to a ceasefire.

The protests came as leaders said plans for an offensive to "conquer" Gaza City were moving forward, describing it as necessary to defeat Hamas. The planned offensive, which the army has already begun in its initial stages, involves mass displacement and the destruction of the enclave's main urban center, already stricken by famine.

Netanyahu convened his cabinet in the afternoon, but no announcement followed. A government official, speaking with Xinhua on condition of anonymity, said the meeting focused on a regional review, and only "briefly" touched on the Gaza City offensive. It did not address the stalled ceasefire negotiations or the recent proposal mediated by Qatar and Egypt that Hamas endorsed last week.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari confirmed on Tuesday that Israel has yet to respond to the proposal, which he said "matches 90 percent of what Israel wants." "The ball is now in Israel's court, and it seems that it does not want to reach an agreement," he said.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum accused Netanyahu of deliberately avoiding discussion of the deal. "It is very sad that precisely on the day when masses of Israelis take to the streets with a clear demand to bring all the hostages home and to end the war, Netanyahu continues his campaign to sabotage the agreement, in complete contradiction to the will of the people," it said in a statement.

During the day, protesters carried signs reading "Hostage Deal Now" and blocked Highway 1, which links Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and the Ayalon Highway, the country's main artery.

By nightfall, protesters gathered in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square. According to the forum, about 200,000 gathered there.

Sharon Cunio, a former hostage and the wife of David Cunio, who remains in Gaza, said their daughters began preschool without their father. "A few days ago, when I was putting them to bed, they asked me, 'Are you sure daddy will come back?' So here are the facts: there is a deal on the table, the military's chief of staff says we must move forward with it. So why can't I tell my daughters I am sure their father will come back?" she said.

Hamas seized 251 hostages during its surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in the killing of about 1,200 people in Israel. Most have since been freed in swaps, killed or died in captivity. Around 50 remain in Gaza, including about 20 believed to be alive, according to Israeli figures.

Israeli strikes and gunfire have killed at least 62,819 people and wounded 158,629 in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza health authorities.