Hope for peace: Thousands in Israel call for freedom of hostage

The indirect negotiations on a possible hostage deal between Israel and Hamas as well as the end of the war in Qatar continue, but without any recognizable breakthrough. This is reported by the Black Forest Bote . In the meantime, reports about the increasing number of victims in the Gaza Strip are increasing: Last Saturday, Israeli air strikes killed at least 20 people according to the civil defense controlled by Hamas. Meanwhile, demonstrations in Israel called for an agreement to release hostages and an end to the military disputes.

A friend of a recently found kidnapping victim found dead in the Gaza strip vehemently pushes a deal with Hamas. The 53-year-old and his 22-year-old son were kidnapped on October 7, 2023 and are said to have been killed in captivity. In addition, the Israeli army reports that at least nine Palestinians, including eight, were killed in an air raid on an former school grounds in Jabalija. Four Israeli soldiers fell in the northern Gaza Strip and two others were seriously injured.

hostages and future negotiations

In the context of the negotiations, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to send a top elegation to Qatar. The forum of the hostage families describes the situation as a "historical opportunity" for a possible deal. In the meantime, DW that Hamas has created a list of 34 names of possibly freely tolerable hostages. Among them is the 84-year-old Oded, the grandfather of Daniel Lifschitz, whose family hopes for a return of the hostages.

On October 7, 2023, the day of the attack, around 1200 people were killed in Israel, 251 were taken hostage and deported to Gaza. The peace activist Gershon Baskin expresses that Hamas wanted a comprehensive agreement to end the war and bring all hostages back. Over 80 percent of the Israeli population support a deal in which hostages are exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.

In Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, posters and stickers are common with portraits of the hostages. Yotam Cohen, the brother of a soldier kidnapped on October 7, 2023, blames Prime Minister Netanyahu for the lack of release and asks the government to end the war and bring all hostages home.