“A murderous government is abandoning the hostages,” people chanted at another rally in Tel Aviv. They accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sacrificing the hostages. Relatives of the hostages have long accused the head of government of sabotaging a deal with Hamas and bowing to the demands of his ultra-religious and far-right coalition partners. These are against concessions to the Islamist organization. Netanyahu depends on his partners for his political survival.
There were also demonstrations in Jerusalem and Beersheba, among other places, for an agreement to end the war, which also provides for the release of the hostages. During a small rally in the coastal city of Haifa there was a rocket alarm after shelling from Lebanon. A video circulated in Israeli media shows protesters fleeing to safety in nearby buildings. There are currently restrictions on gatherings in the city due to the security situation.
In their speeches, relatives of the hostages also appealed to US President-elect Donald Trump to put pressure on Netanyahu. The families also worry that the abductees might not survive the winter. Earlier this month, Israeli media reported, citing new intelligence figures, that about half of the approximately 100 hostages were still alive.
