Thousands of Israeli protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv yesterday to demand an end to the war in Gaza and an agreement to release hostages held by the Palestinian Islamist group "Hamas", DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Several thousand people responded to the call of the Forum of Relatives of Hostages, a DPA reporter found. There were also demonstrations in Haifa, Jerusalem and Beer Sheva.
"Tomorrow we will blockade the country," Einav Zangauker, mother of Matan - one of the 20 surviving hostages in the Gaza Strip, told the crowd. She was referring to the planned national strike for today. "And we will not stop there, we will not wait for (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu to end the war, we will take what is rightfully ours", she said.
According to the Jewish calendar, Sunday is the first working day of the week in Israel, DPA recalls.
The families declared a strike to protest the government's decision to expand the war in Gaza with a new offensive instead of signing an agreement to return the kidnapped, the "Times of Israel" reported.
According to Israel, in addition to the live hostages, "Hamas" is holding the bodies of another 30 people kidnapped in the Gaza Strip.
Months of indirect negotiations to release the hostages and end the war have yielded no results. Netanyahu has insisted that the security cabinet decide to take over Gaza City and the refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip by military force.
Despite initial concerns about the risks to the hostages believed to be there, the army has begun developing plans in this direction.
The possibility of reaching a negotiated solution has not yet been completely ruled out. There is currently no talk of resuming indirect talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, but reports of contacts and exploratory talks aimed at resuming the negotiation process have repeatedly appeared in the media.
The Israeli army said it would provide Gaza residents with tents and other equipment as part of preparations to move civilians from combat zones to "safe places" in the southern Palestinian territory, Reuters reported.
The equipment will be transferred through Israel's Kerem Shalom border crossing by the United Nations and other international humanitarian organizations after being thoroughly inspected by Israeli Defense Ministry officials, Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee said on the social network "Ex".
Last week, Israel announced plans for a new offensive to take control of the northern Gaza city. Israel's plan to advance on the largest city in the coastal strip has raised alarm among the international community. The capture of the city, home to about one million Palestinians, complicates ceasefire efforts, Reuters reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing ahead with his plan to capture the remaining two Hamas-held cities. According to Netanyahu, Israel has no choice but to finish what it started and defeat "Hamas" because the Palestinian group refuses to lay down its arms.
"Hamas" says it will not disarm until an independent Palestinian state is established.
Israel already controls about 75% of the territory of the Gaza Strip. The war began after Islamists led by "Hamas" attacked southern Israel in October 2023. The attack killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. It is believed that 20 of the 50 hostages who remain in Gaza are still alive.
The offensive, which the Israeli army launched in response to the attack on southern Israel, has killed about 61,000 Palestinians so far, according to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted “RAF (Royal Air Force), shame on you!“ at a protest outside a Royal Air Force base calling for an embargo on arms sales to Israel, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered yesterday afternoon in front of the barbed wire fence of the "High Wycombe" air force base (High Wycombe) for the protest organised by the “Palestine Solidarity Campaign“.
Protesters held placards reading “Stop UK military cooperation with Israel“ and “61,000+ killed, 600 RAF spy flights“.
Chants were heard including “RAF, you work for us, Israel is not your boss“, “RAF, shame, shame – you kill children“ and “RAF, you have blood on your hands“.
A large Palestinian flag was raised in front of a replica of a World War II Hurricane fighter jet outside the entrance to the air base, and organisers brought protesters in buses from the train station.
The demonstrators gathered outside the air base held a large red banner and chanted "We are the red line, Britain for Palestine" as protesters banged pots and drums.
Thames Valley Police said no arrests had been made during the protest.
Adnan Hmidan, chairman of the Palestine Forum, said in a speech at the demonstration that Britain“, said the Royal Air Force was not just “a bystander but a partner in collective punishment.
“The RAF is a partner in ethnic cleansing and above all a partner in genocide against the people of Gaza. Every warplane that reaches Israel with British troops or British support makes that country complicit in the murder of children“, Hmidan also said.
Last week, 15,000 people demonstrated peacefully in central London in support of the Palestinian cause, with only one person arrested, the Metropolitan Police said, noting that 522 people were arrested “for unlawfully demonstrating in support of “Action for Palestine” (Palestine Action) on the same day“.
The Metropolitan Police said yesterday that 60 more people would be charged with “showing support for the banned terrorist group “Palestine Action“.
The police said this follows the arrest of more than 700 people since the group was banned on July 5, including 522 in central London last Saturday.
The police said further prosecutions were expected in the coming weeks and that measures had been taken “which will allow for the investigation and prosecution of a significant number of people each week, if necessary“.
Last week, police confirmed the first three charges in England and Wales for breaching section 13 of the Terrorism Act, in relation to “Palestine Action“.
The organisation “Action for Palestine“ was banned by the British government in July, with the ban making membership or support of it a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison under the Terrorism Act 2000.