Israeli protesters block main Tel Aviv highway over lack of hostage deal

Dozens of Israelis, including activists and families of hostages, blocked a major road in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's failure to reach an early agreement with Hamas to release hostages in Gaza.

The demonstrators blamed Netanyahu for failing to reach such an agreement with the Palestinian group.

According to Maariv daily, they closed the Ayalon Highway, demanding that the Israeli government take immediate action to negotiate a comprehensive deal.

As part of their demonstration, they lit a large menorah and other fires to mark the final candle of Hanukkah, a Jewish religious ritual.

Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday, commemorates the Maccabean Revolt, where Jewish warriors defeated the Seleucid Empire in 165 BC.

The Israeli hostage families condemned Netanyahu in a statement, saying, "Our loved ones are enduring a living nightmare in Hamas captivity because Netanyahu is deciding to abandon them there."

"Instead of ending the war through a comprehensive deal that would bring all captives home, Netanyahu continues to sabotage the negotiations," they added.

The statement stressed, "On the last candle of Hanukkah, we don't need miracles to bring them back, but real actions from our leadership."

For more than a year, Hamas has repeatedly expressed its willingness to negotiate a prisoner exchange deal, even agreeing to a proposal put forward by US President Joe Biden in May 2024.

However, Prime Minister Netanyahu later backed away from the proposal, introducing new conditions, including the continuation of military operations in Gaza and refusing to withdraw Israeli forces. Hamas insists on a full halt to the conflict and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Israeli opposition leaders and the families of the hostages accuse Netanyahu of obstructing the deal to maintain his political position. Extremist ministers, such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have threatened to collapse the government if a cease-fire is agreed upon.

The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed over 45,550 victims, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.