A group of relatives of Israelis held hostage by Palestinian gunmen in Gaza stormed a parliamentary committee session in Jerusalem on Monday, demanding that the lawmakers do more to try to free their loved ones. The action by about 20 people signalled growing domestic dissent in the fourth month of the Gaza war against Hamas.
One woman held up pictures of three family members who were among the 253 people seized in the cross-border Hamas rampage of Oct.7 that triggered the worst fighting in decades. Some 130 remain in captivity after others were brought home in a Nov truce.
“Just one I’d like to get back alive, one out of three!” the woman protester cried after pushing into the Knesset finance committee discussion. Other protesters held up signs reading: “You will not sit here while they die there.”US, Qatari and Egyptian efforts to mediate another release seem far from reconciling Israel’s drive to destroy Hamas and Hamas’ demand that Israel withdraw and free all of the thousands of Palestinians, including senior militants, from its prisons.
The fate of the hostages — 27 of whom Israel says have died in Gaza — has riveted the country. But relatives fear that war fatigue could soften that focus. Demonstrations that initially promoted national unity have become more aggressive. Families and supporters have also started camping outside PM Netanyahu’s home as well as the Knesset building.
In the Knesset on Monday, parliamentary ushers initially tried to block the families but then stood by during the ruckus in the finance committee. One lawmaker covered her face with her hands. Panel chairman Moshe Gafni, head of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party in Netanyahu’s coalition, called a halt to the briefing and sought to calm the protester. “Quitting the coalition would not achieve anything,” he said On Monday, Netanyahu told hostage families that Hamas has made no solid offer that would see their loved ones freed, a day after he rejected conditions presented by Hamas to end the war and release hostages that would include Israel’s complete withdrawal and leaving Hamas in power in Gaza.“There is no real proposal by Hamas,” Netanyahu’s office quoted him as telling the group.
One woman held up pictures of three family members who were among the 253 people seized in the cross-border Hamas rampage of Oct.7 that triggered the worst fighting in decades. Some 130 remain in captivity after others were brought home in a Nov truce.
“Just one I’d like to get back alive, one out of three!” the woman protester cried after pushing into the Knesset finance committee discussion. Other protesters held up signs reading: “You will not sit here while they die there.”US, Qatari and Egyptian efforts to mediate another release seem far from reconciling Israel’s drive to destroy Hamas and Hamas’ demand that Israel withdraw and free all of the thousands of Palestinians, including senior militants, from its prisons.
The fate of the hostages — 27 of whom Israel says have died in Gaza — has riveted the country. But relatives fear that war fatigue could soften that focus. Demonstrations that initially promoted national unity have become more aggressive. Families and supporters have also started camping outside PM Netanyahu’s home as well as the Knesset building.
In the Knesset on Monday, parliamentary ushers initially tried to block the families but then stood by during the ruckus in the finance committee. One lawmaker covered her face with her hands. Panel chairman Moshe Gafni, head of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party in Netanyahu’s coalition, called a halt to the briefing and sought to calm the protester. “Quitting the coalition would not achieve anything,” he said On Monday, Netanyahu told hostage families that Hamas has made no solid offer that would see their loved ones freed, a day after he rejected conditions presented by Hamas to end the war and release hostages that would include Israel’s complete withdrawal and leaving Hamas in power in Gaza.“There is no real proposal by Hamas,” Netanyahu’s office quoted him as telling the group.