"Pay the price"

Hostage families protest in front of Netanyahu’s house

A march was also held in Tel Aviv on Friday to demand the release of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas.(Bild: Associated Press)

Hundreds of people in Israel have once again protested against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Dozens of family members of hostages who are still being held captive in the Gaza Strip gathered in front of Netanyahu's house. "The only way is a deal that has a price, pay the price," demanded the brother of a victim who was killed by the terrorists last week.

According to Israeli media, around 300 demonstrators gathered outside one of Netanyahu's houses in the city of Caesarea on Friday evening. They accused Netanyahu of not doing enough to bring home the hostages abducted by terrorists from the Islamist Hamas at the beginning of the Gaza war.

136 hostages still held by Hamas
Merav Svirsky, whose brother Itay was killed last week, criticized: "The fighting is endangering the hostages." Attempts were also made in Tel Aviv to put pressure on the government to arrange another hostage deal. The Ayalon North Highway was blocked by the demonstrators. They lit a bonfire with the number "136" - the number of hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip. 

Photos of the hostages abducted by Hamas hang on a wall in the Old City of Jerusalem.(Bild: Associated Press)

Hostage's father went on hunger strike
"We have been begging you for 105 days, and now we are asking you to stop the executions of the hostages," the newspaper "The Times of Israel" quoted from a statement by relatives addressed to Netanyahu. The father of one hostage has announced that he will go on hunger strike. "We have crossed the 100 days (since the start of the war), that was our red line. From here on, our measures will become increasingly harsh," the man was quoted as saying.

Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that the war will continue until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages are returned. However, a growing number of family members are resisting this stance, pointing out that since Israel resumed fighting after a ceasefire at the end of November, during which 105 hostages were released, no more have been freed. There are calls for new negotiations. "We said that the fighting would endanger and kill them," a relative of one hostage was quoted as saying.

105 hostages exchanged for 240 prisoners
On October 7, terrorists from the Islamist Hamas and other extremist groups carried out a massacre in the Israeli border area, as a result of which around 1200 people were killed. The terrorists also kidnapped around 250 people in the Gaza Strip. Since then, Israel has been attempting to destroy Hamas' military infrastructure in the Gaza Strip with air strikes and a ground offensive. During a ceasefire in November, 105 hostages were released in return for 240 Palestinian prisoners.