Israeli protesters call for Gaza ceasefire deal and early elections

Thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday across several cities demanding a peace deal with Hamas and early parliamentary elections.

Protesters swarmed the streets of cities such as Tel Aviv, Haifa and Caesarea calling for the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a deal with Hamas that would see Israeli captives held in Gaza return home, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.

The Israeli media outlet reported that protesters in Tel Aviv carried signs accusing Netanyahu of "not caring about the lives of prisoners held in Gaza". In Haifa, hundreds of Israeli demonstrators held a banner at the Horev Junction reading: “No forgiveness for negligence”.

On the same day, the Times of Israel quoted the families of Israeli detainees in Gaza saying that Netanyahu continues to obstruct the deal with Hamas, hinting that his decision to launch an attack on the city of Hodeidah in Yemen was an attempt to further avoid peace and continue in power.

On Saturday night, Tel Aviv witnessed widespread protests demanding elections, alongside smaller protests across Israel pressuring Netanyahu's government to secure the return of detainees by reaching an agreement with Hamas and end its devastating war on Gaza.

The protests come as indirect ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas have regained momentum after months of failed diplomacy.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a long-sought ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was within sight, saying negotiators were “driving toward the goal line”.

Blinken told the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado that Hamas and Israel had agreed to the ceasefire framework outlined by US President Joe Biden in May after a lot of pushing and diplomacy but said that some issues needed to be resolved.

“I believe we're inside the 10-yard line and driving toward the goal line in getting an agreement that would produce a ceasefire, get the hostages home and put us on a better track to trying to build lasting peace and stability,” Blinken said.

The protests also come amid the Israeli military’s chief of staff Herzi Halevi demanding on Thursday that his country go ahead with a deal with Hamas that would guarantee the release of Israeli captives, according to two sources.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed almost 39,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of whom are civilians.