Thousands of protesters, including relatives of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, demonstrated around the country Thursday evening, August 1, to mark 300 days since the October 7 massacre, calling on the far-right government to seal a hostage and ceasefire deal. Similar protests were held around the country, including in Jerusalem, Beersheba and Herzliya.

Thousands marched through Tel Aviv, holding yellow ribbons and photos of hostages, then blocked the Begin intersection near the Israeli army Kirya headquarters before the main rally was held at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square. The families bound themselves in chains while walking along the route, representing the suffering of their loved ones in the Gaza Strip, and unfurled a 40-meter-long flag counting the days since the war’s outset.

Protesters blocking Tel-Aviv’s Ayalon highway, Thursday morning, marking 300 days in captivity for the hostages in Gaza and demanding an immediate deal for their return, August 1, 2024 (Photo: Black Flag Protest)

At the Hostages Square event, Nissan Calderon, who survived the Hamas onslaught and whose brother Ofer Calderon has been held in Gaza ever since, charged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been procrastinating on the signing of a deal.

In an interview earlier, Danny Elgarat, whose brother Itzik is held captive in Gaza, said Netanyahu did not want a deal and one would not be made as long he is in power. Elgarat accused the prime minister of choosing his political survival over the fate of the hostages after far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition threatened to bring down the government if a deal was made. Elgarat also said he believed that the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh would distance any possible agreement. “We are all naïve,” he told Ynet news website, “To take out into account that the death of Haniyeh would result in the execution of hostages,” he said.

The protests movements against the far-right government announced Thursday evening the cancellation of rallies and demonstrations that were planned to take place on Saturday evening due to the fear of retaliatory attacks from Iran and Hezbollah. However, a demonstration against the occupation of the Palestinian territories and the war in Gaza will be held in Umm el-Fahem on Saturday, at 3.30 p.m., sponsored by the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel. The Peace Partnership calls Arabs and Jews to gathered tomorrow in the Arab city. The Peace Partnership is a broad coalition of dozens of organizations, movements, groups and parties, among them Hadash and the Communist Party of Israel.

Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=32011