Tens of thousands took to the streets across Israel on Saturday night to call on the government to urgently agree to a ceasefire deal for the release of the hostages held by terror groups in Gaza, a day after security services announced they had recovered the bodies of two captives from the Strip.

On Friday, the IDF and Shin Bet said they recovered the body of slain hostage Ilan Weiss and the remains of a second hostage, who was identified Saturday as Idan Shtivi, both killed during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught in southern Israel.

Marking the one-year anniversary of the murder of six hostages by their Hamas captors as Israeli troops neared, hostages’ families urged the government to abort its plans to conquer Gaza City, arguing that military pressure only endangers the captives.

Before the main rallies in Tel Aviv, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated: “As plans move forward to conquer Gaza City, a hostage deal remains stalled at the negotiating table – serving as a painful reminder of last year’s lesson: military pressure kills hostages.”

The statement referenced the killing of Alexander Lobanov, Carmel Gat, Ori Danino, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi and Almog Sarusi by their Hamas captors last year.

The rallies also came hours after Channel 12 reported that Sunday’s security cabinet meeting would again not discuss the partial ceasefire deal that Hamas said it agreed to weeks ago, despite pressure from security chiefs, who are said to be planning on presenting a united front in favor of the deal during the meeting.

The deal in question envisions the release of 10 hostages along with the bodies of 18 slain captives over a 60-day truce, during which the sides will hold talks on the terms of the release of the remaining hostages and a permanent end to the war. The government has yet to formally discuss the proposed deal, and despite it being nearly identical to an offer approved by Jerusalem last month.

Reacting to the report, the Hostages Families Forum said it was “further proof” that the government “is turning to perpetual war and sacrificing the hostages, completely against the will of the people.”

Speaking outside the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, the father of Hamas hostage Eitan Horn excoriated the government as “deranged” and said it was gambling with the lives of his son and of the other........

© The Times of Israel