Marking nine months since the war in Gaza started, Israeli protesters blocked highways across the country Sunday, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down and pushing for a ceasefire to bring back scores of hostages held by Hamas. The demonstrations came after long-running efforts to broker a truce gained momentum last week when Hamas dropped a demand for an Israeli commitment to end the war. The militant group still wants mediators to guarantee a permanent ceasefire, the AP reports, while Netanyahu is vowing to keep fighting until Israel destroys Hamas' military and governing capabilities.
"Any deal will allow Israel to return and fight until all the goals of the war are achieved," Netanyahu said in a statement Sunday. The "Day of Disruption" started at 6:29am, the same time Hamas militants launched the first rockets toward Israel in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war. Protesters blocked main roads and demonstrated outside the homes of government ministers. Near the border with Gaza, Israeli protesters released 1,500 black and yellow balloons to symbolize their fellow citizens who were killed and abducted. Hannah Golan said she came to protest the "devastating abandonment of our communities by our government." She added, "It's nine months today, to this black day, and still nobody in our government takes responsibility."
About 120 hostages remain captive after more than 100 were released as part of a November ceasefire deal. Israel has concluded that more than 40 of the remaining hostages are dead, per the AP. The compromise on Saturday by Hamas could lead to the first pause in fighting since November. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip appeared pessimistic about a ceasefire, after previous instances in which the two sides appeared to be closing in on a deal. "We have lived nine months of suffering," said a mother of six children living in a tent in the central city of Deir al-Balah, where she has been sheltering since they fled their home in Gaza City. "The ceasefire has become a distant dream."
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