▲ Protesters blocked the Ayalon Highway yesterday, demanding an agreement between the Israeli government and Hamas for the release of all hostages.Afp Photo
AFP, Europa Press, The Independent, Ap and Sputnik
The newspaper La Jornada
Monday, September 2, 2024, p. 28
Jerusalem. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets last night after six more hostages were found dead in Gaza, chanting: now!demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and a ceasefire agreement with Hamas to bring home the remaining hostages.
“Bibi (nickname of the Israeli prime minister), what have you done? Every day is like Russian roulette that Netanyahu is playing until all the hostages are dead.accused one of the participants in the largest demonstration in 11 months of war, the newspaper reported Hareetz on its portal.
The Forum of Relatives of the Abducted demanded that Netanyahu assume his responsibility and explain why no agreement has been reached. The delay in signing a ceasefire has led to the deaths of many hostagesthey denounced.
In Tel Aviv, relatives of the dead hostages marched with coffins to symbolize their mourning.
“We truly believe that the government is making these decisions for its own survival and not for the lives of the hostages, and we must say: ‘stop!’” said Tel Aviv resident Shlomit Hacohen.
According to The Times of Israelaround 300,000 people protested in Tel Aviv and 200,000 marched in the rest of the country. Many cried as they marched, according to The Independent.
The march in Tel Aviv ended at the Begin Gate of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) headquarters, where they arrived carrying six symbolic coffins.
At least 15 people were arrested at the march and 29 on the Ayalon Highway, Tel Aviv’s main highway, for disturbing public order, attacking police officers and causing riots during a blockage.
In Jerusalem, the demonstration took place in front of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) and Netanyahu’s office. A new protest was announced for today at noon, coinciding with the meeting of the Council of Ministers.
Members of the government: you are going to learn the hard way what is important for this nation. You will not have a moment of silencewarned one of the speakers.
The six bodies were recovered from a tunnel in Gaza on Saturday. Israel said autopsies showed the hostages were shot at close range and died on Thursday or Friday, 48 to 72 hours before they were found by the IDF.
Hamas spokesman Izzat al Rashq denied this accusation. What kills our people every day is the Israeli occupation with American weapons, and the prisoners, whose bodies were found in the Gaza Strip, died because of Israeli bombings.he said.
Another Hamas commander said the hostages were killed. by gunfire and shelling by the Israeli occupiers.
The dead hostages were identified as Ori Danino, 25; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 27; Alexander Lobanov, 33; Carmel Gat, 40; and Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, who lost part of his left arm in a bombing and appeared in a video released by Hamas in April.
A leader of the Islamist movement said that some of the six hostages killed were on the list approved by Hamas to be releasedAccording to Israeli media, these are Goldberg-Polin and the Israelis Gat and Yerushalmi.
At the Tel Aviv protest, Arnon Bar-David, president of Histadrut, Israel’s main trade union federation, said that the country is on its way to political ruinaccording to Hareetz.
Yesterday I made the decision to stop the Israeli economy starting this Monday. I am here to fight. Jews do not abandon Jews.he said, calling for a general strike.
The call was echoed by Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and the families of the hostages. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai declared a morning strike in the municipality’s public institutions.
Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s main airport, announced that it is also joining the strike by suspending all landings and takeoffs starting at 8 a.m. today.
A senior Hamas official said there would be no deal without Israel’s withdrawal from the Philadelphia corridor, the report said. Hareetz; On Friday, the Israeli government approved the permanence of its troops at that crossing as a condition for a ceasefire, while security officials said that the intense pressure on Hamas created favorable conditions for Israel in a possible agreement.
The United States, mediator with Egypt and Qatar, announced that it will present a final offer of take it or leave it. He also stated that the execution of the hostages puts into doubt The seriousness of Hamassaid the Washington Postciting a senior White House official on condition of anonymity. If this offer is rejected it could mean the end of mediation efforts, the report said.
Hamas offered to release the hostages in exchange for an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including senior militants.
Izzat Rishq, a leader of the Palestinian organization, stressed that the hostages would be alive if Israel had accepted the US-backed ceasefire proposal that Hamas had agreed to in July.
Netanyahu vowed to continue the war until Hamas was destroyed.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of Burying the State of Israel.
Within Likud, the Israeli prime minister’s party, a senior leader quoted by Hareetz stated:
It’s unpleasant to admit, but Netanyahu will push for a deal only when the streets are burning.and added that At this point, he fears (far-right Security Minister Itamar) Ben-Gvir and (far-right Finance Minister Bezalel) Smotrich more than he fears the families of the hostages..
US President Joe Biden sent his condolences to Goldberg-Polin’s parents, Raquel Goldberg and Jon Polin, who appeared at the recent Democratic convention last month.
The foreign ministries of Germany, Spain and the European Union condemned the deaths of the six hostages, while the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, demanded the End of the nightmare of the war in Gaza.
Hamas leaders must be held accountable for the execution of hostagesUS Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant in a telephone conversation yesterday.
Meanwhile, the families of the seven American hostages still in Gaza reported that they were warned that The next few days will be critical in the push to free the remaining 101 captives..
