Israeli media reported that the families of the prisoners were demanding that an exchange deal be reached with Palestinian resistance forces in Gaza.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits families of prisoners of war demonstrating in front of his home in Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, on May 1, 2024 (social media).
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was at his official residence in Tel Aviv surrounded by families of Israeli prisoners of war held by the resistance in the Gaza Strip, protesting for an exchange deal.
The families have vowed to intensify their protests in the next stage due to the occupation government’s inability to finalize the exchange agreement at this critical time, as deliberations and negotiations facilitated by intermediaries continue. Ta.
Read more: POW families: Israeli government must choose between POWs and war
He stressed that any failure to reach an agreement would be due to selfish political interests, according to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper.
Families have made it clear that the step-by-step measures include surrounding Israeli decision-makers. They confirmed imposing a “siege of one million people” on Parliament and the Ministry of Security, noting that no officials would be allowed in or out except by helicopter.
The newspaper also emphasized that they “will not return to their homes and will remain in public places.”
Rafah invasion approaching
In recent weeks, Israelis have flooded the streets of Tel Aviv and several other regions to demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation over his record in the Gaza war, including his continued abandonment of exchange agreements.
Last week, Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades released a video of an Israeli it was detaining in the Gaza Strip, in which he addressed settlers and occupation authorities.
As a result of the video, many of the prisoners’ families gathered outside Prime Minister Netanyahu’s residence in occupied al-Quds. The crowd demanded that the Israeli government secure an agreement to release Palestinian resistance prisoners, holding placards that read “Bring them home now.”
But despite warnings that the attack on Rafah was likely to result in the deaths of many prisoners, Prime Minister Netanyahu said on Tuesday that regardless of whether an exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance was reached, said that an invasion would take place.
“The idea of stopping the war before all objectives are achieved is meaningless. To achieve absolute victory, we will enter Rafah, with or without an agreement (on hostages), where Hamas It will destroy the battalion,” he told the families. Prisoners of war restrained in strips.
