Families of Israelis imprisoned in Gaza staged a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Defense building in Tel Aviv, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not intending to negotiate a hostage exchange with Hamas and instead of only trying to buy time. During the protest, the families told the press that Netanyahu was not sincere about negotiating and was merely stalling. A mother of a prisoner stated that Netanyahu was not willing to engage in a genuine negotiation for the sake of their children and that he was not honest in his promises. Another family mentioned that Netanyahu wanted to continue the war to stay in power and leave the fate of the prisoners in the hands of far-right ministers. The issue of a hostage exchange resurfaced after the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israel. It was reported that the head of Mossad, David Barnea, would travel to Qatar to engage in discussions on this matter.