Tens of thousands protest for a hostage agreement amid ongoing discussions for a Gaza truce in the Israel-Gaza conflict

Tens of thousands protest for a hostage agreement amid ongoing discussions for a Gaza truce in the Israel-Gaza conflict

Whether a truce would be temporary or permanent seems to be the primary source of contention in the negotiations.

Before further ceasefire negotiations, tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated late into the night, demanding an agreement to release the captives.

Chanting "life is holy, war is not," demonstrators in Tel Aviv accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to drag out the fighting.

It happened on Saturday when a group from Hamas met with negotiators in Egypt.

Although the organization said that nothing new had happened, they did add that "a new round will begin" on Sunday.

Long-running talks in Cairo, which have been mediated by Qatar and Egypt, have resumed with the aim of stopping Israel's onslaught in Gaza in exchange for the release of captives.

It seems that the primary issue of contention is whether the agreement would be temporary or long-term.

It is believed that the language under discussion calls for the release of some Palestinian inmates detained in Israeli prisons as well as a 40-day ceasefire during which hostages would be freed.

Ismail Haniyeh, the chairman of Hamas, has an advisor who says the organization is considering the most recent plan with "full seriousness".

However, he reiterated his insistence that any agreement must clearly call for Israel to withdraw from Gaza and for the conflict to stop in its entirety.

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On Saturday, a local media outlet was informed by an unidentified Israeli government source that Israel would "under no circumstances agree to end the war as part of an agreement to free our abductees".

They continued: "The IDF will enter Rafah and destroy the remaining Hamas battalions there - whether there is a temporary pause to free our captives or not."

Pressure to go on with the long-promised attack in Gaza's southernmost city, where an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians have sought refuge after fleeing violence in the northern and central parts of the strip, has come from inside Mr. Netanyahu's far-right coalition.

The US, Israel's largest military and diplomatic partner, has insisted on seeing a plan to safeguard displaced Palestinians before it would support any fresh attack that may result in major civilian fatalities.

Mr. Netanyahu has said time and time again that his soldiers would advance with a ground attack in Rafah.

The latest manifestation of the mounting internal pressure on Mr. Netanyahu to achieve the release of the hostages was the rallies that took place in Israel on Saturday.

128 of the 252 people that Hamas abducted on October 7th remain missing, and at least 34 of them are thought to be dead.

One demonstrator in Tel Aviv, Natalie Eldor, told the Reuters news agency that her goal was to "support a deal now, yesterday".

"All of the hostages, whether alive and dead, must be returned. It is our duty to return them. We have to change this administration," she said.

Gathering in Tel Aviv's Kirya military camp, some demanded an end to the conflict, while others accused the prime minister of undermining the agreed ceasefire.

Member of Israel's war cabinet minister Benny Gantz addressed the possibility of a ceasefire on Saturday, stating: "We have not yet gotten an official answer to the idea. The war management cabinet will convene and deliberate upon it upon acceptance.

"Until then, I suggest to the 'political sources' as well as all decision-makers to wait for official updates, to act calmly and avoid allowing themselves to get into hysteria for political reasons."

Since the end of November, there has not been a respite in hostilities or a release of captives despite months of ceasefire negotiations going on without any progress.

There have been times when it seemed like a new deal would be reached soon, but it fell through before it could be signed.

The BBC was informed by a source with knowledge of the most recent round of talks that the negotiations remain intricate and that any significant progress may still need several days.

Meanwhile, a "full-blown famine" is now occurring in northern Gaza, according to the director of the UN World Food Programme.

In an interview with US media, Cindy McCain issued a warning that the dire circumstances in the region were becoming worse southward.

"What we are asking for and what we've regularly asked for is a ceasefire as well as the ability to have unfettered access to get in safe," McCain said.

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On October 7, waves of Hamas militants broke across Gaza's border into Israel, killing about 1,200 people and capturing over 250 others. This marked the start of the conflict. In many Western nations, the group is prohibited as a terrorist organization.

Figures from the territory's Hamas-run health ministry show that over 34,600 Palestinians have died and over 77,900 have been injured during the ensuing Israeli military operation in Gaza.