Since Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza, more than 100 hostages were freed during a week-long ceasefire in November last year. Reaching a new truce agreement should include an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
Thousands of people have organized a protest in Tel Aviv to demand that the Israeli government do more to secure the release of the hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza.
The weekly protests also They have an anti-government elementand many demand that the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls new elections and make way for a successor.
Hamas launched an incursion into southern Israel last Octoberkilling about 1,200 people and taking another 250 hostage.
Since Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza, more than 100 hostages have been released during a week-long ceasefire in November last year. But the efforts to achieve a new truce agreement that would include an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners have so far stalled.
One of the stated objectives of the Israel military campaign was to free the hostages held in Gaza, but In eight months only seven have been released.
Three other people were mistakenly killed by Israeli forces after they escaped on their own and Hamas says other people were killed in Israeli airstrikes. Israel estimates that around 80 people are still being held by Hamas along with the bodies of another 40 people..
Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed more than 37,000 Palestiniansaccording to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
It has also unleashed a humanitarian disaster in Gazawhere more than 80% of the population has been displaced and Israeli restrictions and ongoing fighting have hampered efforts to deliver humanitarian aidfueling widespread hunger.
Some accuse Benjamin Netanyahu of prioritizing his political survival over the lives of the hostages.
Water and sanitation disaster in southern Gaza
Meanwhile, Palestinians in southern Gaza have queued under the scorching sun to access water from aid trucks in Khan Youniswhere tens of thousands live mainly in plastic tents.
Displaced people there struggle with high temperatures, lack of food and water, and few or no medical supplies.
This comes a day after a senior WFP official said a “water and sanitation catastrophe” in southern Gaza, aggravated by the growing number of displaced people from the southernmost city of Rafah.
“People camp in the streets, on the beach, at best with some place to shelter. But, you know, we drove through rivers of sewage“said WFP Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau.
