Israeli tanks moved deeper into the outskirts of Gaza City, forcing more Palestinian residents to flee as the military prepared to execute a government plan to conquer Gaza and remove what it described as "Hamas' last bastion." Tens of thousands of Israelis marched toward Hostage Square in central Tel Aviv demanding a deal to return the 50 remaining hostages, chanting for unity around the hostages. Protesters included Naama, a psychology student who lost a close friend at the Nova music festival and described two years as a roller coaster of hope and desperation. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum organized the demonstrations to coincide with a Security Cabinet meeting that Israeli media reported adjourned early without discussing a Hamas-accepted ceasefire and instead allowed ministers to attend a celebratory dinner marking legalization of 17 West Bank settlements.
"No [political] left, no [political] right, above all, the hostages," the protesters chanted as they marched toward Hostage Square in central Tel Aviv. The area has become a symbol of the fight to return the hostages taken during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. Among the protesters on Tuesday was Naama, a psychology student who lost one of her close friends in the militant attack at the Nova music festival.
Naama, who declined to give her last name, told DW at the square. She said she wanted to believe that the Israeli government was doing everything it could to end the 22-month war, "because if I didn't believe this, I wouldn't be able to get out of bed in the morning. I really hope that they are not turning a blind eye to what is happening here."
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