March 31, 2024 – Israel-Hamas war

Some of the anti-government protesters who took to the streets of Jerusalem on Sunday, calling for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign, were family members of the hostages being held in Gaza.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, the current opposition leader, called on the Israeli government to pay attention to the ongoing demonstrations and the protesters’ demands. 

“Present here in the crowd are families of hostages. They stood outside the Kirya (the Israel Defense Forces headquarters in Tel Aviv), screamed their souls out, and nobody heard. They waved signs and no one saw. The Israeli government is ignoring their existence,” Lapid said while at the rally outside the Knesset in Jerusalem.

Danny Elgarat, brother of one of the hostages, Itzhak Elgarat, also called on Netanyahu to leave his position.

Thousands more protesters gathered outside the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, carrying flags and banners. 

“Bring everyone home now. Without returning the hostages, Israel doesn’t have a justification to exist,” one of banners reads.

The Israel Police said in a statement that “a number of pyrotechnic items, including smoke flares, were set off near the demonstrators” and that one person was arrested on suspicion of being involved.

Meeting with Netanyahu: Separately, the family of an Israeli female soldier held hostage in Gaza said “no good news” came out of their meeting with Netanyahu on Sunday.

“After six months, we hoped and expected to get some good news as the negotiations progressed,” the father of 19-year-old captured soldier Naama Levy said in an interview with Israel’s Army Radio. “We received no such news. On the contrary, we are disturbed that negotiations are progressing slowly.”

This post has been updated with remarks from the family of another hostage.