Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a statement asking for forgiveness after the recent crisis resulted in the deaths of six hostages in Gaza on Saturday.
The crisis has caused widespread protests and outrage across the country, with many demanding accountability and actions from the government.
Despite Netanyahu’s apology, tensions remain high, and protests continue to escalate. The situation is further complicated by threats from Hamas, which has warned that more hostages could be “returned to their families in shrouds” if a ceasefire is not reached soon.
The hostage crisis has brought the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a boiling point, with many fearing further escalation and violence.
The international community is also mounting pressure as the UK suspended 30 arms export licenses to Israel, citing a “clear risk” of equipment being used to commit serious violations of international law.
Israel’s Defence Minister has expressed disappointment, while Foreign Minister Israel Katz said it sent a “very problematic message” to Hamas and Iran.
US President Joe Biden has criticized Netanyahu for not doing enough to secure a hostage deal and ceasefire with Hamas.
Mediators are trying to broker a deal that would see Hamas release 97 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Despite this, Netanyahu remains defiant, insisting that Israeli troops must control Gaza’s Philadelphia Corridor.
Hamas has further threatened to return hostages “inside coffins” if military pressure from Israel continues. The group has given “new instructions” to militants guarding captives but did not elaborate.
NewsNGR reported that thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Monday in fresh protests called by hostages’ families to express their anger at PM Netanyahu’s failure to bring home their loved ones after almost 11 months, further escalating the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The protests came after hundreds of thousands demonstrated on Sunday, with some blocking a major highway in Tel Aviv.
A general strike called by Israel’s largest trade union has seen hundreds of thousands join in, but Tel Aviv’s airport reported limited disruption.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed that Israelis had gone to work “in droves” and proved they were no longer slaves to “political needs”.
The Times of Israel reported that police were using considerable aggression at one protest outside the prime minister’s home in Jerusalem, including violently pushing protesters, throwing some to the ground, and dragging many away.
Funeral services have been held for some of the hostages killed on Saturday, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin. His mother spoke at his funeral, saying she had been in “such torment and worry” about him for months.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. Over 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.