Hundreds of students from several Israeli universities staged a partial strike this Thursday (13) in solidarity with the hostages in the Gaza Strip and to demand a ceasefire agreement from the government to release them.
The strike, organized by the national student union in collaboration with the platform representing the families of the hostages, took place on the premises of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University and Haifa University, as well as other points.
On the Hebrew University’s Givat Ram campus, very close to the Knesset (Israeli parliament), just over a hundred students gathered to listen to speeches, pray and show solidarity with the families of the 116 still held captive by the terrorist group Hamas.
“We need the world’s help to bring back the hostages, as it is a basic human right to live in freedom and safety. No one wants a war for themselves. We all want life,” Shay Dickmann, Carmel Gat’s cousin, told the crowd , an Israeli still held hostage for more than eight months.
Shortly afterwards, Sapir Lev, a medical student at Hebrew University and friend of Dickmann, told EFE that it is important for the Israeli government and parliamentarians to see that the students are on the side of the families.
“Nobody wants a war. Nobody wants fighting and death. We just want life, we want peace, we want everyone to return home. It’s something that affects all of us”, said the student.
The strike takes place amid negotiations for a truce and hostage release agreement, which, despite US insistence, remains far from materializing.
Earlier this morning, Hamas reiterated that it had dealt “positively” with the latest proposal, outlined about two weeks ago by US President Joe Biden, but stated that no Israeli officials had confirmed support for the plan.
“Although (US Secretary of State Antony) Blinken continues to talk about Israel’s approval of the latest proposal, we have not heard any Israeli officials express their approval,” the Palestinian militia said.
As early as June 11, following a UN Security Council resolution calling for the implementation of the truce, Hamas announced its willingness to cooperate with mediators and participate in indirect negotiations to reach a ceasefire.
Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the proposal presented by Biden was “incomplete” and added that the truce was for the release of the hostages and that only after that negotiations would be held, without mentioning the total end hostilities, one of Hamas’ main demands.
Lev, a medical student, acknowledged that the negotiations are very complex, as a pact would involve the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, some convicted of blood crimes.
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