Families of Israeli Prisoners Protest in Front of the Defense Ministry, Renewing Calls for a Comprehensive Deal
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Families of Israeli Prisoners Protest in Front of the Defense Ministry, Renewing Calls for a Comprehensive Deal

SadaNews - Families of Israeli detainees held in Gaza protested outside the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, demanding a comprehensive deal to return their children in one batch in exchange for ending the war on Gaza, as indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue in the Qatari capital, Doha, entering their second week on Sunday.

The protests in Tel Aviv and various locations, as well as major streets and intersections, continue, urging Netanyahu's government to reach a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal with Hamas in return for ending the war on Gaza.

In the latest developments, an Israeli official participating in the Doha negotiations acknowledged significant difficulties, noting that the army would not withdraw to the lines it occupied during the previous ceasefire agreement. He also stated that Israel and Hamas are reviewing the proposal submitted by mediators on Thursday.

The mother of one of the prisoners criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the delays in reaching a comprehensive agreement, saying, "A whole nation wants to bring back all fifty hostages and end the war with a comprehensive deal, but Netanyahu is stalling and practicing narrow policies at the expense of the hostages and soldiers."

She pointed out that "my son, Matan, is held alone in the tunnels and suffers from muscular dystrophy that prevents him from standing. He has no time left."

She added, "Trump understands what some here refuse to comprehend: only ending the war will guarantee everyone's return. Returning to war will kill my son Matan and wipe out the other hostages, burying the remains of soldiers forever. It is time for Israel to join its major ally and abandon the illusions of eternal war and support Trump's vision of ending the war and returning the hostages."

The father of another Israeli prisoner mentioned that his son "is held under inhumane conditions inside one of Gaza's tunnels and suffers from a worsening skin disease. Netanyahu has torn my relationship with my son after separating him from his brother who was released in the previous deal."

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He addressed Netanyahu, saying, "You could have brought everyone back, but you chose to sabotage the agreement, and now you are becoming more obstinate. Enough political exploitation at our expense," urging him to "ignore Ben Gvir and Smotrich, as the people do not want to sacrifice the hostages. Stop ruining deals and wasting opportunities; we are talking about the lives of our children."

He added, "You have brought us to a point where we beg a leader of a foreign country to release the Israelis. After 652 days, it is time to make the right decision to return all the hostages and end the war. You have our support, the support of the families, the people, and Trump."

The father of a third Israeli prisoner stated that "on October 7, my son fought for Israel, and for 652 days the government has abandoned him, leaving him to be tortured as his condition deteriorates."

He pointed out that "hundreds of soldiers have fallen in the war on Gaza, and none of them should have been harmed to bring back Nimrod (his son) and the rest of the hostages. They can all be returned through a comprehensive deal and the end of the war."