Protests against Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli government continue in Israel. Thousands of Israelis and relatives of captives staged a demonstration in Tel Aviv to call for a ceasefire with Hamas and to continue the prisoner exchange agreement. Yotam Cohen, the brother of Israeli captive soldier Nimrod Cohen, expressed that leaders of different countries do not care about rescuing Israel’s captives and stated, “Being Israeli is shameful.”Relatives of Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip, along with thousands of others, gathered at the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, which they called “Square of the Hostages,” to pressure the government to continue the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.Addressing the approximately 2,000 people gathered at Kirya, Yotam Cohen, the brother of Israeli captive soldier Nimrod, referred to the United States directly negotiating with Hamas and emphasized that foreign leaders have already understood that they are not interested in releasing Israel’s captives, stating, “Being Israeli is shameful.”

Cohen accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer of deeming the agreement unnecessary, fearing that most captives have died, and betraying the captives, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. He reminded that Israel did not comply with the requirement to start the second phase negotiations on the 16th day of the initial phase of the agreement and did not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, noting that one in every 6 captives died due to Israeli attacks.
Yifat Calderon, cousin of Ofer Calderon, an Israeli captive released by Hamas, also called for the protest in Kirya to continue till dawn.A scuffle broke out when Israeli police intervened in the square and prevented those wanting to leave and join the demonstration at the Kirya military base.

On the other hand, Israeli relatives of captives, speaking there, harshly criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu and the government, accusing them of deliberately sabotaging and planning to resume attacks on Gaza, claiming that they intentionally sabotaged the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. Einav Zangauker, the mother of Matan, an Israeli captive in Gaza, indicated that the government had no intention of bringing all captives back, saying, “Initially, they asked me to not speak up and just sit at home, told me not to worry and that they were doing everything to bring them back.”
Karina Ariev, one of the Israeli captives released by Hamas according to the agreement, demanded the government to continue the agreement. The ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel came into effect on Sunday, January 19 at 12:15 GMT.
Expected to consist of three stages, the agreement legally required negotiations for the second stage to commence on the 16th day (February 3) of the 42-day first phase. While the Tel Aviv administration hindered the start of the negotiations for the second stage, after the end of the first phase last week, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff proposed a plan extending the first stage of the ceasefire. Israel claimed to have accepted this plan, but Hamas rejected it, announcing the halt of all humanitarian aid supplies to enter the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli media had alleged that Tel Aviv was preparing to resume attacks on the Gaza Strip.