Israel’s Netanyahu faces protests as more hostage death details emerge: ‘what is the cabinet waiting for?’
- Protests started on Friday night outside the nation’s military headquarters, and a major demonstration is planned for Tel Aviv on Saturday evening
- The prime minister is taking heat for what’s been termed inaction on securing a new prisoner exchange deal, weeks after a brief ceasefire ended

More details have emerged about the shooting deaths of three Israeli hostages at the hands of the nation’s military during fighting in the Gaza Strip, inflaming criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu for not doing enough to free captives held by Hamas.
Protests started on Friday night outside the nation’s military headquarters, and a major demonstration is planned for Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. The prime minister is taking heat for what’s been termed inaction on securing a new prisoner exchange deal, weeks after a brief ceasefire ended.

The men were identified as Yotam Haim, 28, Alon Shamriz, 26, and Samer Talalka, 25. All were abducted from kibbutzim in southern Israel near the Gaza border on October 7. The Times of Israel reported that the three were trying to escape their captors when they were killed.
The incident occurred while US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was visiting the region. Israel’s two-month bombardment of Gaza was triggered by brutal attacks on southern Israel by Hamas fighters on October 7. Some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and about 240, including the three men shot on Friday, were taken hostage.
Israel and Hamas ended a week-long ceasefire early in December that included daily exchanges of hostages taken by Hamas in the October attack for prisoners held by Israel.
