Families of Israelis held in Gaza storm Knesset panel to demand their release

JERUSALEM (AA) – Families of Israelis held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip stormed a parliamentary committee session in Jerusalem on Monday to demand a deal to secure their release.

“You won’t sit here while they are dying there!” reads a sign held by relatives as they stormed a meeting of the Knesset’s Finance Committee, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.

Hamas is believed to be holding nearly 136 Israelis following its October 7 attack.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attack and has killed at least 25,295 Palestinians and injured 63,000.

Mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the US have so far failed to secure the release of the remaining Israelis as Hamas demands an end to Israel’s deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip.

A previous deal between Hamas and Israel in November saw the release of 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners in exchange for 240 Palestinians, including 71 women and 169 children.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.