Cairo, Egypt – Tel Aviv witnessed a new escalation on Tuesday morning, when protesters, including relatives of Israeli soldiers held captive by Hamas, blocked the southern Ayalon Highway near the Hashalom Junction. They did so by rappelling down from a bridge on ropes. This was to demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proceed with the implementation of former US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza.
Yedioth Ahronoth quoted the protesters as saying that the plan represents the closest realistic opportunity to stop the bloodshed and end the fighting. However, their greatest fear is that Netanyahu will once again succumb to pressure from his partners on the extreme right, such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, who have previously obstructed similar understandings. They stressed, “We will not allow him to waste this historic opportunity… We will not let him torpedo the agreement,” in a clear indication of their commitment to achieving the deal.
In moving remarks, Silvia Cuneo, the mother of one of the detainees in Gaza, said, “I haven’t slept all night. I live in hope that this will be the last time, that all our children will return home and that this devastating war will end.” Cuneo responded sharply to the right-wing voices opposing the plan, saying, “They are worthless and must stop barking. It is time to stop the bloodshed and return to life.”
The Trump plan, if accepted, stipulates an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of the Israeli army to the “agreed line.” It also calls for the release of all hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. Additionally, it calls for the urgent flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
