Protests for release of hostages take place across Israel, Netanyahu calls them unhelpful

Protests for an immediate hostage deal took place in several cities across Israel on Saturday night.

The rally in Tel Aviv was the 16th week of demonstrations to release hostages, taking place in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, where families of hostages and their supporters gathered to call for government action.

The rally, which happened to take place on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, was full of references linking the events of Oct. 7 to the Nazi genocide of European Jews.

As in previous weeks, a group of protesters gathered outside the private residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea

Netanyahu, in his weekly address to the nation on Saturday evening, criticized protests for an immediate hostage release deal.

"I understand that you can't control emotions, but it doesn't help."

The premier said the protests increase Hamas' demands and "push off the goal that we all want: The return of all of our hostages."

On Sunday morning, Israeli security forces clashed with protestors from the Tzav 9 (Order 9) protest movement, which arrived at the Kerem Shalom border crossing to block humanitarian aid convoys to Gaza. 

[Tzav 9 refers to the order for the immediate, emergency enlistment of reserve soldiers by the government in response to a military threat.] 

This is the fifth day that protesters attempted to block trucks carrying humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip. Protesters claim Israel’s transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza is wrong, since is going to Hamas operatives and ordinary Palestinian citizens in Gaza but not the Israeli hostages. 

In his Saturday evening speech, Netanyahu said the IDF chief of staff would deal with the protesters, arguing: “Without minimal humanitarian assistance, we will not be able to complete the mission and the objectives of the war.” 

Tzav 9 said Netanyahu “needs to grow courage and stand up to the Americans.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reportedly demanded that Gaza continues to receive humanitarian aid “unhindered,” while speaking with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last week. 

Tzav 9 representatives replied: “The hundreds of supply trucks entering the Gaza Strip every day are not humanitarian aid but immediate supplies and oxygen for the murderous terrorist organization Hamas, which is fighting us. There are many ways in which you can take care of the truly humanitarian needs.”  

“We understand that the prime minister is under heavy pressure to open the Kerem Shalom crossing to trucks supplying and aiding Hamas; our job as a people is to press exactly the opposite,” the group continued. “No aid will pass until the last of the abductees returns.” 

Tzav 9 promised to continue non-violent protests against the government allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza until the hostages are returned.