Thousands of Israelis demand prisoner exchange deal with Palestinian factions

Thousands of Israelis protested Saturday to demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government reach a prisoner exchange agreement with Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip to secure the release of Israeli captives, according to media reports.

Israel's Channel 12 said nationwide rallies pressured the government to conclude a deal that would bring the hostages home.

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported large turnouts in Tel Aviv, Rehovot and Haifa, with protesters demanding the release of captives, even if it means halting the war in Gaza.

Demonstrators accused Netanyahu's government of neglecting the fate of the captives.

Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and ex-military officers were among the protesters in Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, in Rehovot and Kiryat Ono, right-wing Israelis reportedly attacked protesters. Police arrested eight individuals involved in the assaults, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.

The protests came as Israeli media reported the launch of a new round of indirect negotiations in Qatar to reach a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

KAN, Israel's public broadcaster, cited unnamed sources who said the deal under discussion includes the immediate release of 10 living Israeli captives and a ceasefire lasting between six to eight weeks. Hamas would also submit a list of living and deceased captives within 10 days of the deal's implementation.

Israel estimates that 58 hostages are held in Gaza, including 20 who are alive. But more than 9,900 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, where many face torture, starvation and medical neglect --conditions that have led to several deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups.

The negotiations are taking place as the Israeli military escalates its campaign in Gaza. The army announced Friday the expansion of its large-scale assault under the name "Operation Gideon's Chariots," to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, as reported by Israel's public broadcaster on May 5.

Since March 2, Israel has barred all supplies, including food, water and medicine from entering Gaza.

Israel also abandoned a ceasefire and resumed bombarding Gaza on March 18. The death toll since October 2023, when the war began, has crossed 53,200.