Rally demands release of captives

Jerusalem - Israeli citizens and families of captives held in Gaza rallied on Tuesday in Tel Aviv, demanding the Israeli government strike a prisoner swap deal with the Hamas group, as they reach the 200-day captivity mark.

According to the Times of Israel news website, the families of the captives and their supporters painted their hands red and held them up to the sky in an act of protest at the city’s Habima Square.

The rally also called on the government to act to secure their release.

The Israeli opposition as well as families of the captives accuse Premier Netanyahu of hindering an agreement with the Hamas group for his own political reasons.

In early April, Hamas said Israel’s position over the ceasefire talks remains ‘intransigent’.

“The Israeli position remains intransigent and has not responded to any of the demands of our people and our resistance,” Hamas said.

Tel Aviv believes 134 Israelis are being held in Gaza, while Israel is holding not less than 9,100 Palestinians in its jails.

Indirect talks between Israel and the Hamas group are taking place in both Cairo and Doha aimed at reaching a deal that includes a prisoner swap under which the Israeli captives will be released in exchange for Palestinians release from Israeli jails.

487 killed in West Bank

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry on Tuesday said 487 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli forces and illegal settlers across the occupied West Bank in the past 200 days. Around 4,900 others were also injured across the West Bank and Jerusalem since October 7, the ministry said in a statement.

Those killed include 122 children, 4 women, 5 elderly people and 10 detainees who died in Israeli jails, the statement added.