About twenty people disrupted a meeting of the Finance Committee in the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem. Family members fear declining interest in the fate of Israelis held hostage in Gaza. They want the government to do more to free them. After fifteen minutes the meeting can continue again.
About 130 people are still being held hostage. Israel believes that some of the hostages died in captivity. In November, Hamas released some hostages after reaching a temporary ceasefire mediated by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt. Because of this agreement, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were released from prisons in Israel.
Later, there were many calls for a new agreement to be reached and the hostages released. Israel and Hamas have not yet agreed on the terms of such an agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he rejects Hamas’ conditions for ending the war and releasing the hostages. According to Netanyahu, one of these demands is for Hamas to remain in power in Gaza. “If we accept this, we cannot guarantee the safety of our citizens,” the Prime Minister said.
