Pressure point Hostage deaths unleash public fury-but can it bring a ceasefire closer?
The Guardian Weekly|September 06, 2024
Pressure mounted on the Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu this week after his US counterpart Joe Biden accused him of not doing enough to secure a ceasefire deal with Hamas, although protests against Israel's government suffered a blow when a court ordered an early end to a general strike.
Julian Borger, Quique Kierszenbaum and Andrew Roth
Pressure point Hostage deaths unleash public fury-but can it bring a ceasefire closer?

The demonstrations, which broke out last weekend, were prompted by the grim discovery of the bodies of six hostages in Gaza, and brought tens of thousands of Israelis out on to the streets to protest against the government's handling of the war in Gaza and efforts to release dozens of hostages who remain in captivity.

Biden told reporters on Monday that his administration was "very close" to proposing a "final" hostage deal to both sides that has assumed new urgency since the discovery of the bodies, including that of Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

The Washington Post had previously reported that the Biden administration was preparing to propose a "take it or leave it" deal that, if it fails, may mark the end of American-led efforts to negotiate a ceasefire between Israeli and Hamas.

Biden did not reveal details of the new US proposal, and when asked why he thought it could prove successful after months of unsuccessful attempts, said: "Hope springs eternal." But he also indicated his frustration with the Netanyahu government, saying he did not believe the Israeli PM was doing enough to secure a ceasefire.

Netanyahu has remained defiant over Israeli claims to strategic points in Gaza, despite significant internal and international pressure to secure at least a temporary ceasefire in the 11-month-long war.

The Hostage Families Forum vowed that their protests would continue, but the far-right members of Netanyahu's government coalition declared victory after a labour court ruling that the strike had to end at 2.30pm local time.

Even before the court ruling, the strike, called by the Histadrut trade union federation, was not seen as a significant threat to the government.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 06, 2024 من The Guardian Weekly.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 06, 2024 من The Guardian Weekly.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY مشاهدة الكل
Friendship interrupted
The Guardian Weekly

Friendship interrupted

They were best mates. Then one had a baby, while the other struggled to conceive. They share their brutally honest takes on what happens when motherhood affects friendship

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 22, 2024
KERNELS OF HOPE
The Guardian Weekly

KERNELS OF HOPE

During the siege of Leningrad, botanists in charge of an irreplaceable seed collection, the first of its kind, had to protect it from fire, rodents-and hunger

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 22, 2024
A new horizon' The inverse link between cancer and dementia
The Guardian Weekly

A new horizon' The inverse link between cancer and dementia

Scientists have long been aware of a curious connection between these common and feared diseases. At last, a clearer picture is emerging

time-read
4 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Across the universe
The Guardian Weekly

Across the universe

Samantha Harvey won the Booker prize with a novel set in space. Yet, she says, Orbital is actually 'a celebration of Earth's beauty with a pang of loss'

time-read
4 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Frank Auerbach 1931 -2024
The Guardian Weekly

Frank Auerbach 1931 -2024

Saved from the Holocaust, this artist captured the devastation of postwar Britain as ifits wounds were his own but he ultimately found salvation in painting

time-read
3 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Seven lessons I've learned after 28 years as economics editor
The Guardian Weekly

Seven lessons I've learned after 28 years as economics editor

Margaret Thatcher was Britain's prime minister and Neil Kinnock was leader of the Labour party.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Droughtstricken dam leaves economies powerless
The Guardian Weekly

Droughtstricken dam leaves economies powerless

A ll is not well with the waters of Lake Kariba, the world's human-made lake largest A punishing drought has drained the huge reservoir close to record lows, raising the prospect that the Kariba Dam, which powers the economies of Zambia and Zimbabwe, may have to shut down for the first time in its 65-year history.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Let this be the end of these excruciating celebrity endorsements
The Guardian Weekly

Let this be the end of these excruciating celebrity endorsements

I wish celebrities would learn the art of the French exit. But they can't, which is why Eva Longoria has announced she no longer lives in America. \"I get to escape and go somewhere,\" she explained.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Alive, but unable to thrive under absolute patriarchy
The Guardian Weekly

Alive, but unable to thrive under absolute patriarchy

Since the Taliban returned to power, women and girls have tried defiance, but despair at their harshly restricted lives

time-read
4 mins  |
November 22, 2024
‘It's tragic’ Reflection in the wake of Amsterdam violence
The Guardian Weekly

‘It's tragic’ Reflection in the wake of Amsterdam violence

Carrying signs scrawled with messages urging unity, they laid white roses at the statue of Anne Frank, steps away from the home where her family had hidden from Nazi persecution.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 22, 2024