Israeli police arrest 7 protesters demanding return of captives from Gaza

By Said Amori and Rania Abu Shamala

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL (AA) - Israeli police arrested three protesters in Haifa and four in Tel Aviv during demonstrations Thursday calling for the return of captives held in the Gaza Strip.

According to Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily, Israeli police detained three demonstrators during protests in central Haifa demanding an end to the war on Gaza in order to secure the release of the captives.

The protests were held on Ben Gurion Street and the demonstrators were reportedly arrested on charges of disturbing the public order.

Hundreds of Israelis, including families of captives in Gaza, also protested in front of a concert by Israeli singer Eyal Golan in Tel Aviv.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the demonstrators chose Golan's event as their protest site because of his vocal support for the continuation of the war on Gaza.

Police arrested four protesters near the concert, accusing them of disturbing public order.

Eyal Golan has previously called for “killing all lives in Gaza, including civilians,” a statement that has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups and anti-war activists.

Israel estimates that 54 hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive. Meanwhile, more than 10,100 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons under harsh conditions, with reports of torture, starvation and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups.

Israel, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a genocidal offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing over 55,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million inhabitants.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.​​​​​​​

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.