Israeli negotiators have expressed cautious optimism about accepting a ceasefire deal to halt the war in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing pressure from his own people to do so with major street protests urging him to act.
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00:00On a steamy night here in Tel Aviv, thousands of Israelis are turning up the heat on Benjamin
00:07Netanyahu's government, demanding that he accept a ceasefire deal, ending hostilities
00:12in Gaza and prompting the return of more than 100 hostages still held there after 316 days.
00:21Among them, Amnon Shakar, whose granddaughter is still being held by Hamas.
00:25He says he believes she's still alive and hopes that she'll return soon.
00:30We heard mainly from those hostages that did come back, like 50 days after they were kidnapped.
00:38She was well, a little bit wounded, but basically she was okay, on her feet, talking to everybody.
00:48And then we had some, what the military calls, sign of life.
00:54You know what it means, exactly like I know what it means.
00:57Sign of life.
00:58That's it.
00:59No interpretation, no explanation.
01:02But I believe the military when they say that, so we know she was alive a few months back.
01:09The problem is, when you're there with the Hamas, you can tell exactly how she is at
01:1411 o'clock.
01:15That doesn't mean anything about 11.05.
01:19He's not convinced that Benjamin Netanyahu is doing the right thing and holding out.
01:24But there are other items on the priority list that are being considered, other than
01:29the one item which should be the only one on the priority list, which is bring the hostages
01:36back.
01:37This very fact is catastrophic for the state of Israel.
01:42Because in the years to come, the citizens of Israel will ask themselves only one thing.
01:48They don't even know it yet, but they'll ask themselves one thing.
01:52Should my government do everything in her power, anything, to bring the hostages back?
02:00Here in what's dubbed Hostages Square in the heart of Tel Aviv, there is a clear message
02:05to the government.
02:06Get a deal and get it now.
02:08Tonight, the Prime Minister's office may well have given Israelis some hope, a statement
02:13released in the last couple of hours expressing cautious optimism about being able to reach
02:19a deal.
02:20Of course, while these negotiations are put on hold and that work is happening behind
02:24the scenes, the bombardment of Gaza continues.
02:27At least 10 more Palestinians killed in strikes today.
02:31It goes to show that the suffering that hostages and their families are experiencing here in
02:36Israel and that of the population in Gaza continues, and all of them will be hoping
02:41a deal can be reached very soon.