Protests Near Netanyahu's Home Demand Release of Israeli Prisoners in Gaza

Demonstrations erupt around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea, south of Haifa, urging an immediate deal for the release of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza.

Israeli media reported Saturday that demonstrations took place around the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the city of Caesarea, south of Haifa. The protestors called for an immediate agreement to secure the release of Israeli prisoners in Gaza.

Netanyahu is facing increasing pressure to prioritize reaching a deal for the release of prisoners held by Palestinian factions, amidst ongoing political disputes within his government.

The British newspaper Financial Times reported that Netanyahu faced opposition within the war council as public opinion polls up to last month showed that more than 57% of Israelis consider the return of the hostages more important than Netanyahu's goal of eliminating Hamas.

The crises within Netanyahu's government deepened on Monday after Hamas released a video showing three Israeli hostages pleading directly with the Prime Minister for their release. One of the hostages, Noa Argaman, said in the video: "Stop this madness and bring us back to our families while we are still alive."

Netanyahu and his security leaders, as they have since the start of the war, insist that ongoing military pressure and continued fighting are the only means to secure the return of the hostages.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant stated, "If the war stops now, the fate of the hostages will be postponed for many years... Only from a position of strength can we ensure their release."

According to the Financial Times, fractures appeared within the Israeli war council, formed to manage the military campaign in Gaza. Gadi Eisenkot, a centrist politician and former military commander, urged the war government to "think outside the box" and show courage in seeking a broader agreement with Hamas for the release of the hostages.

Eisenkot, who joined Netanyahu's coalition with his party leader Benny Gantz in October, has not yet made clear whether he and Gantz, who are seen as less hawkish than the Prime Minister, will support a sustainable ceasefire to enable the release of the hostages.

Relatives of the remaining hostages organized a 24-hour march in Tel Aviv over the past weekend to mark 100 days since their loved ones were captured. Hagar Produtch, one of the more than 100 hostages released during a temporary humanitarian truce in late November, expressed her grave concerns about the fate of those still held in Gaza and urged the security cabinet to make the release of the captives "a top priority, agreeing to any deal that brings them home."

These sentiments are also growing among politicians, with opposition leader Yair Lapid stating that releasing the hostages is "a more urgent goal than toppling Hamas in Gaza." Lapid continued, "We will kill Yahya Sinwar sooner or later... but the hostages must be brought back to their homes now."

However, right-wing ministers in the Israeli government believe that an agreement would allow Hamas to remain and emerge victorious from the war. In recent weeks, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have threatened to bring down the government if the attack against Hamas stops.

According to the British newspaper, Netanyahu, whose popularity has declined in opinion polls, refuses to break away from his far-right political allies to ensure his political survival. In a press conference last weekend, the Prime Minister spoke of "broader national security considerations."

He said, "Just as we cannot put ourselves in their place... the families of the hostages, despite all the sorrow, pain, grief, and suffering, cannot put themselves in the place of the political leadership that needs to make tough decisions."

Netanyahu reaffirmed that his country will continue the war, also announcing his rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state, a matter that the US administration, along with Arab countries, has emphasized as necessary in the post-war phase.