Protests in Israel: For hostage deal and against Netanyahu. Protests in Tel Aviv carried banners that read, in Netanyahu, “You are the leader! You are to blame!".
105 of the original more than 250 people kidnapped were released in November during a ceasefire in the Gaza war. According to Israeli estimates, around 100 of them are still alive. Indirect negotiations are currently underway with the Islamist Hamas to secure their release in return for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. In Tel Aviv, a group of government opponents tried to block a highway. The police used water cannons to drive the demonstrators away.