Thousands of Israelis rally in Tel Aviv to demand prisoner swap deal

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said demonstrators marched from Hostage Square in central Tel Aviv toward the US Embassy branch on HaYarkon Street, demanding a comprehensive agreement.

The newspaper reported that protesters carried banners and chanted for an end to the war and the immediate return of the hostages.

Former hostages released by Hamas also reportedly took part in the march.

Participants issued direct appeals to Israeli leaders and US President Donald Trump to move toward finalizing a comprehensive deal.

The newspaper said hundreds of demonstrators held similar protests in other areas, including Karkur Junction and Rothschild Street in Caesarea in the north.

During the last 21 months, multiple rounds of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas have been held to end the war and facilitate a prisoner exchange.

Two partial agreements were reached in November 2023 and in January.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, backed away from finalizing the latest agreement and resumed the war on March 18.

Hamas has repeatedly affirmed its readiness to release all Israeli hostages “in one batch” in exchange for an end to the genocide and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since the end of 2023, killing nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of diseases.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.