Israeli women block road in Tel Aviv demanding prisoner swap deal

Several Israeli women, including relatives of Israeli hostages, blocked the main Ayalon Road in Tel Aviv on Thursday to demand a deal to release Israeli hostages from Gaza, an Israeli media outlet reported on Thursday.

"During peak traffic congestion, the protesters stood carrying large pictures of the hostages and chanted, 'Deal now'," the Israeli Channel 12 reported.

The protesters affirmed that "they will not forget their brothers and sisters who are still detained in the tunnels," it added.

It also said a women's movement initiated the protest, without clarifying its name.

Police were called to the place to disperse the protesters who continued to shout and struggled to disrupt traffic until the police managed to reopen the road, and traffic resumed in Ayalon Road after about half an hour, according to the Israeli channel.

"The protesters who were moved to the side of the road chanted: 'Arresting the families of hostages is shameful'," it said.

The broadcaster also quoted families of hostages as saying "every passing day diminishes the chances of the hostages returning alive."

They criticized the Israeli government, saying: "When decision-makers postpone making a deal, we are not ready to relax. ... We do not despair, we do not surrender."

In recent weeks, many Israeli cities have seen almost daily protests to pressure the government to make a deal with Hamas to exchange Israeli and Palestinian prisoners, halt the war in Gaza, and hold early elections.

Israel estimates there are around 130 hostages in Gaza, while it detains at least 8,800 Palestinians in its prisons, according to official sources from both sides.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack led by the Palestinian group Hamas in which nearly 1,200 people were killed.

At least 31,300 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 73,134 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 27 people have died of malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza as a result of the Israeli blockade.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.