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Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip attend a rally demanding their release from Hamas captivity and calling for an end to the war, in Jerusalem on September 6. (Mahmoud Illean/AP via CNN Newsource)
By Tal Shalev, CNN
(CNN) — As the Israeli military expands its assault on Gaza City, Israeli demonstrators took to the streets Saturday evening, driven by a new sense of urgency to demand the government halt the operation and prioritize a ceasefire deal.
Over the weekend, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) escalated its offensive, striking two high-rise buildings in Gaza City, only to amplify fears and heighten concerns among hostage families that ongoing operations could endanger their relatives after more than 700 days in captivity.
In a social media post with video of one of the strikes on Saturday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said, “We continue,” showing the government’s clear intent to keep pounding Gaza City.
Hours later, the protests began.
Alongside the weekly demonstrations in Tel Aviv, another group protested in Jerusalem outside the Prime Minister’s residence, the culmination of four days of targeted pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.
“We are in critical minutes,” said Viki Cohen, mother of the hostage Nimrod Cohen, addressing the Jerusalem crowd. “It is possible that at this very moment the fate of my son is being decided.”
The protests appeared to intensify following a 48-hour period that underscored the hostages’ precarious situation. On Friday, as the Gaza war reached its 700th day, Hamas released new propaganda footage of two hostages – Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Alon Ohel – being driven through Gaza City. The video marked the first appearance of 24-year-old Ohel since his capture by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Hours later, US President Donald Trump told White House reporters that some of the 20 hostages presumed alive in Gaza may have “recently died,” repeating similar comments from last month suggesting “probably” fewer than 20 of the remaining hostages were still alive.
Israel’s official hostage tally has not changed, with 48 remaining in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
But Trump’s statements reinforced the families’ fears that the escalating offensive risks their loved ones. On Friday, some of the hostage families said they were briefed by Israeli military officials that the operation could risk the captives’ lives.
“The conquest of Gaza poses a clear and imminent danger to the hostage,” said Orna Neutra, mother of deceased hostage Omer Neutra, in a speech at the protests over the weekend. Afterward, she told CNN, “The IDF Chief of Staff and the different heads of the military and intelligence have said that there’s no way they can really protect the hostages. We also know from past experiences that they don’t know exactly where they are.”
Neutra referenced an incident in Rafah one year ago when Hamas murdered six hostages as Israeli forces drew close.
“Despite hoping to proceed slowly without harming the hostages, some things remain beyond their control,” Neutra said of the IDF’s plans.
Since the security cabinet initially approved the war’s expansion in early August, hostage families have broadened their protest campaign to pressure the government to pursue a deal. Organizers report hundreds of thousands of Israelis have participated in the weekly demonstrations.
The wide-scale protests reached the White House, as Trump acknowledged on Friday. “The big protests in Israel about the hostages put Israel in a tough position. I’ve never seen anything like it, the level of love they have for their children,” he told reporters. However, the massive turnout has not convinced Netanyahu to advance the latest hostage deal on the table.
Last month, Hamas accepted a Qatari-Egyptian proposal for a phased agreement releasing 10 living hostages and 18 deceased hostages during a 60-day ceasefire. Israel has ignored and dismissed the offer, with Netanyahu now demanding only a comprehensive agreement to end the war on Israel’s maximalist conditions, including all hostages released and Hamas disarmament.
On Saturday evening, Hamas reiterated “its commitment and adherence to the agreement” and said it was willing to consider any proposal that ends the war.
Trump has repeatedly endorsed Netanyahu’s new negotiation strategy, threatening Hamas once again. “If you don’t let (the hostages) all out, it’s going to be a tough situation. It’s going to be nasty.” Yet he also stated the US is in “very deep negotiations” with Hamas, raising hostage families’ hopes that a deal could be in the making.
In Tel Aviv’s central hostage square, a wide banner addressed the president directly: “Trump – save the hostages now.”
The-CNN-Wire
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