War in the Middle East
Tens of thousands demonstrate for the release of the hostages
Demonstrators in Tel Aviv demand the release of hostages held by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Photo
© Maya Alleruzzo/AP/dpa
The end of the war. – That is nothing more and nothing less that the demonstrators are demanding from Prime Minister Netanyahu. The goal: the release of the remaining hostages. The news at a glance.
Tens of thousands of people have protested in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities for the Release of the hostages in the Gaza Strip. The participants of the rally in Tel Aviv demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu end the Gaza war so that an agreement can be reached on the hostages kidnapped by the Islamist Hamas, as the portal “haaretz.com” reported.
In a videotaped speech, a man who was freed from hostage captivity a week ago in a major army operation said: “There is only one solution for the hostages who are still in Gaza: a deal between Israel and Hamas.” While in captivity, Hamas members made him and his fellow prisoners watch television reports of the weekly demonstrations in Israel. This gave them courage and confidence. “You are heroes!” he said to the demonstrators.
According to the hostage families’ forum, it was the largest protest since the start of the Gaza war on October 7 of last year. At that time, Hamas and other Palestinian groups invaded southern Israel, murdered around 1,200 people and took another 250 hostages to the Gaza Strip.
According to the health authorities controlled by Hamas, more than 37,000 Palestinians were killed in the war that resulted from this. Around four-fifths of the population are on the run within the sealed-off coastal strip. An agreement on the release of around 120 hostages still held by Hamas – in return for the release of Palestinians in Israeli prisons – is currently not within reach. It is also unclear how many hostages are still alive.
As a condition for a hostage deal, Hamas is demanding an end to the war or at least a guarantee that Israel will cease hostilities. Netanyahu is not prepared to do this. He wants to destroy Hamas once and for all because of its responsibility for the October 7 massacre.
Again criticism of the actions of the Israeli army
Independent UN human rights experts criticized the actions of the Israeli armed forces during the hostage rescue. The experts accused Israel of arriving at the site of operations in the Nuseirat refugee camp in a civilian truck disguised as displaced persons and humanitarian aid workers.
This is contrary to international law and a war crime. The civilian camouflage is insidious, the experts found, and it will expose genuine humanitarian workers to even greater risks in the future. The Israeli military, however, denied that soldiers had entered the Gaza Strip disguised in humanitarian aid vehicles or via a makeshift pier for aid supplies off the coast of the area.
According to a report in the newspaper “The Jewish Chronicle”, Israeli forces posed as Palestinian refugees from Rafah before the hostage rescue began. They rented an apartment near the Nuseirat market to gather information about the hostages’ whereabouts. According to the report, the actual hostage rescue was ultimately carried out by officers from a special unit of the border police, who drove to the scene hidden in trucks.
Gaza pier must be temporarily towed to Israel
The temporary pier erected by the US military in the sea off the Gaza Strip is being temporarily towed to the Israeli coast due to rough seas. The decision was not taken lightly, but the safety of the soldiers involved is the highest priority, said the responsible regional command (Centcom). The temporary relocation will prevent structural damage to the pier. It will be towed back as soon as possible, as soon as the seas allow.
Aid supplies are brought to the Gaza Strip via the pier. The jetty suffered severe damage from rough waves shortly after completion at the end of May and had to be repaired.