Israel says it recovered bodies of 6 hostages in Gaza; Israeli protesters call for ceasefire deal
Israel’s military says it has recovered the bodies of six hostages in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on Tuesday saying, “Our hearts grieve over the terrible loss.”
He said, “Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages – the living and the deceased.”
Meanwhile, protesters in Israel called for a ceasefire deal to secure the release of those still held in the Gaza Strip.
Rallies were held across Israel on Sunday. Earlier, Israel’s military announced the recovery of six bodies from an underground tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah.
More than 1,000 people demonstrated outside the prime minister’s office. They called for a ceasefire deal and the return of the remaining hostages, even if it requires accepting Hamas’s demand for a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
A woman who took part in the rally said negotiations were progressing, but the Israeli government failed to bring home the hostages alive. She said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not prioritized the release of hostages and is delaying the deal.
Israeli media reported that labor unions and local governments are holding a large-scale strike on Monday to pressure the administration into reaching a deal with Hamas.
As the fighting with Hamas drags on, there are growing calls in Israel to seek negotiations with Hamas to bring home the hostages as quickly as possible.
But Netanyahu has maintained that Israel will keep fighting until it destroys Hamas even as Hamas is seeking a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East to try to secure a deal on a ceasefire and the release of hostages. He visited Israel on Monday and goes to mediators Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday. But there is still no prospect of an agreement.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a humanitarian pause in fighting in areas where a polio vaccination rollout is underway.
But Palestinian media reported that civilians were killed and wounded in Israeli bombings in southern Gaza and other areas on the day the campaign began. It remains to be seen whether the pause in hostilities will hold on the second day of the vaccination drive in central Gaza.
