ISRAELIS BLOCK NETANYAHU FROM LEAVING COUNTRY
July 22, 2024Anti-government protesters gathered in cities across Israel, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to depart for a planned visit to Washington the next day until he has first signed a deal with Hamas to facilitate the return of the hostage from Gaza.
The largest demonstrations were staged in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Caesarea, with thousands participating at each.
Speaking in front of Israel’s military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan, 24, is a hostage in Gaza, declared that there is one person who stands between the families of those held captive and their loved ones, “and that is the prime minister, to whom it is more important to save his seat than it is to save lives.”
Talks for a deal, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US, have failed to return the hostages since a weeklong ceasefire in November that saw Hamas release 105 captives in return for 240 Palestinian prisoners. However, progress has been made in recent weeks, with the US declaring that Israel and Hamas have agreed on a framework for a deal but still have obstacles to overcome.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made new demands in recent weeks — maintaining IDF presence in the Philadelphi Corridor to prevent weapon smuggling from Egypt to Gaza and the creation of a mechanism for preventing armed Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza — that have slowed the talks, Arab and Israeli officials involved have told The Times of Israel.
“There is a deal on the table that’s been ready to be closed for several weeks. And we’re standing here today, after another wasted week, in which Netanyahu again torpedoed [the deal] and dragged his feet,”” Zangauker said on Saturday.
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