Thousands of Israelis protest pour into streets to demand Gaza hostage deal

Thousands of Israelis held protests across the country on Saturday, demanding a hostage swap deal with Palestinian factions in Gaza.

The state-run broadcasting authority KAN reported that in the capital Tel Aviv, the demonstrators closed a section of Ayalon Highway in the city center.

The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israelis also staged demonstrations in central Haifa, at the Karkur Junction near Haifa, and in Rehovot.

"Dozens of demonstrators closed a major road at the Karkur Junction, while other demonstrators closed a crossroads in Rehovot," it added.

For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and a cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to meet Hamas' demands to stop the war.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in nearly 40,700 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 94,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.