JERUSALEM: Families of around 136 Israelis held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip stormed a parliamentary committee session in Jerusalem on Monday, demanding urgent action for the release of their loved ones. The protest took place during a meeting of the Knesset’s Finance Committee, where distraught relatives held signs declaring, “You won’t sit here while they are dying there!”
Since October 7, Israel has launched a deadly offensive in the Gaza Strip killing at least 25,295 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and 63,000 injured.
Despite mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, attempts to secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages have failed. Hamas insists on an immediate end to Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip as a condition for any potential deal.
A prior agreement brokered in November led to the release of 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners in exchange for 240 Palestinians, including women and children. However, the current impasse raises concerns about the humanitarian impact, with 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced, facing acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine. Additionally, 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, as reported by the United Nations.
