Protesters return to streets across Israel, demanding hostage release
12 May, 2024
Thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday (May 11) demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government do more to secure the release of hostages being held in the Gaza Strip by militant group Hamas.
Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv, demanding the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, following reports of a hostage's death. The protests reflect growing pressure on the Israeli government to secure the hostages' release amid failed negotiations with Hamas.
Family members of the hostages, carrying pictures of their loved ones still in captivity, joined the crowds that demonstrated in Tel Aviv.
One of them was Naama Weinberg, whose cousin Itai Svirsky was abducted during Hamas' Oct 7 assault on Israeli towns and, according to Israeli authorities, was killed in captivity. In a speech she referenced a video Hamas made public on Saturday, claiming that another of the Israeli captives had died.
"Soon, even those who managed to survive this long will no longer be among the living. They must be saved now," Weinberg said. As the evening progressed, some protesters blocked a main highway in the city before being dispersed by police, who used water cannons to push back the crowd. At least three people were arrested. Hamas's armed wing said in a video on Saturday that an Israeli-British hostage had died from wounds sustained from Israeli air strikes.
The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades earlier on Saturday released an 11-second clip showing captive Nadav Popplewell alive and identifying himself.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group identified him in a statement.
The video's footage was superimposed with text in Arabic and Hebrew that read: "Time is running out. Your government is lying."
The hostage had a black eye in the clip but showed no other visible signs of injuries.
Wearing a white T-shirt and appearing to speak under duress, he introduced himself as 51-year-old Popplewell, from kibbutz Nirim in southern Israel.
Later on Saturday, Hamas released what appeared to be a full version of the video from which the earlier clip was taken.
Hamas claimed in the video that Popplewell had died on Saturday of his earlier wounds.
"Nadav Popplewell, a British citizen, died today after being seriously injured a month ago (due to Zionist air strikes)," a superimposed text in English said in the video below a picture of the hostage shown in a white photo frame.
"His health deteriorated because he did not receive intensive medical care because the enemy has destroyed the Gaza Strip's hospitals," Abu Obeida, the spokesman of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a separate statement.
AFP was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari did not mention Popplewell during a televised briefing, but said that troops were still seeking to bring the hostages home.
"Even at this hour, every fighter (soldier) and commander on the battlefield envisions the hostages, sees them, thinks of them, and fights to bring them home," he said.
"CRY OF DISTRESS"
Popplewell was kidnapped from his home during Hamas's Oct 7 attack along with his mother, Hanna Peri, who was released during a one-week truce in November - the only pause so far in more than seven months of war.
Popplewell's older brother was killed in the attack.
The video posted Saturday on the Telegram channel of Hamas's armed wing was the third time in less than a month that the group released footage of captives held in Gaza.
On Apr 27 Hamas released a video showing two hostages alive - Keith Siegel and Omri Miran.
Three days earlier it broadcast another video showing hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin alive.
The videos come amid growing domestic pressure on the Israeli government to secure the release of the hostages.
"Every sign of life received from the hostages held by Hamas is another cry of distress to the Israeli government and its leaders," the families forum said in a statement earlier on Saturday.
"We don't have a moment to spare! You must strive to implement a deal that will bring them all back today."
Hamas and Israel have so far failed to reach a deal despite repeated rounds of indirect negotiations.
Some 250 people were abducted to the Gaza Strip on Oct 7 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel.
Israeli officials say 128 of them are still held captive in the Palestinian territory, including at least 36 who are dead.
The attack resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
In Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza, at least 34,971 people have been killed so far, most of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com