Hundreds of families of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas continue to demonstrate in the capital, Tel Aviv, to demand the release of those kidnapped in Gaza and the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom they accuse of “a miserable failure.”

Hundreds of families of Israeli hostages demonstrated last night (Saturday) in front of the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, carrying pictures of their relatives who were kidnapped by members of Hamas and other Palestinian factions in the attack they launched on areas surrounding Gaza on October 7 of this year.

Since the sudden attack, dozens of Israelis have carried out an ongoing sit-in in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense, pledging to continue their movement until Netanyahu’s resignation, according to what Agence France-Presse reported.

An Israeli army spokesman said today (Sunday) that Israel has confirmed that 212 hostages are being held in Gaza.

The demonstrators carried banners reading, “Free the hostages...Stop shooting,” and chanted slogans calling for the hostages to be freed.

The Israeli Prime Minister had stated that his government would use any means to locate the kidnapped people and return them to their country, while the Israeli National Security Advisor, Tzachi Haneghebi, said that the hostage issue would be the core of any discussion to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

Last Friday, Hamas released two American hostages, a mother and her daughter, through Qatari mediation. Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Ubaida said in an audio message earlier that the number of Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip ranges between 200 and 250, and he indicated that 22 prisoners lost their lives in Israeli raids.