Sudan displacement camp ‘nearly emptied’ after RSF takeover: UN
Sudan displacement camp ‘nearly emptied’ after RSF takeover: UN/node/2598375/middle-east
Sudan displacement camp ‘nearly emptied’ after RSF takeover: UN
This handout image courtesy of Maxar Technologies released on April 17, 2025, shows smoke billowing and burned buildings in the Zamzam camp near the besieged Darfur city of El-Fasher. (AFP/File)
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Updated 25 April 2025
AFP
Sudan displacement camp ‘nearly emptied’ after RSF takeover: UN
The agency reported hundreds of thousands of people fleeing famine-hit Zamzam arriving in nearby areas, including El-Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur state that remains under army control
Updated 25 April 2025
AFP
CAIRO: Western Sudan’s Zamzam displacement camp has been “nearly emptied” of its inhabitants, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA warned Thursday, less than two weeks after it was taken by paramilitary forces locked in a two-year war against the army.
The agency reported hundreds of thousands of people fleeing famine-hit Zamzam arriving in nearby areas, including El-Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur state that remains under army control.
“Zamzam IDP (internally displaced persons) camp, which housed at least 400,000 people prior to the exodus, has been nearly emptied,” OCHA said in a statement, adding satellite images showed widespread fires there, with paramilitary forces reportedly preventing some from leaving.
“The displacement from Zamzam is now spreading to multiple locations... About 150,000 displaced people have arrived in Al Fasher locality and another 181,000 people moved to Tawila.”
The war in Sudan erupted on April 15, 2023 between the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
It has killed tens of thousands of people and triggered what aid agencies describe as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.
Famine was first declared in Zamzam in August and has since spread to two more displacement camps near El-Fasher.
The RSF holds sway over much of western and southern Sudan while the army has consolidated its grip on the east and north.
After the army recaptured the capital Khartoum in March, the paramilitaries have intensified their offensives in the vast Darfur region, which is almost entirely under their control.
Several civilians dead in attack on the famine-stricken displacement camp
Updated 13 sec ago
AFP
PORTU SUDAN: Sudanese paramilitary forces shelled North Darfur’s besieged capital El-Fasher on Saturday, killing at least 17 civilians and injuring 25 others, a medical source said.
Speaking anonymously for safety reasons, the source at El-Fasher Hospital said these numbers only account for those who reached the hospital, adding that others were buried by their families, unable to access medical centers due to ongoing security challenges.
Since May last year, El-Fasher has been under siege by the Rapid Support Forces, which have been battling Sudan’s army since April 2023.
According to the local resistance committee — one of hundreds of volunteer groups documenting atrocities during the conflict — the attack involved heavy artillery shelling by the RSF across several residential neighborhoods.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The conflict has effectively divided Sudan, with the army controlling the north, east, and center while the Rapid Support Forces hold much of Darfur and parts of the south.
• Last year, famine was declared in three camps near El-Fasher, including Abu Shouk and Zamzam.
• Aid agencies say thousands of families trapped in El-Fasher are at ‘risk of starvation.’
The bombardment began early on Saturday and continued well into the afternoon, the committee said in a statement, describing the assault as one of the deadliest recent attacks on the city, resulting in numerous casualties and severe damage to property and infrastructure.
A few kilometers to the north, paramilitaries also shelled the famine-stricken Abu Shouk displacement camp, killing several civilians, including a community leader, and injuring at least 20 people, according to the camp’s Emergency Response Room, which has been coordinating frontline aid throughout the war.
Following the RSF’s loss of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, to the army in March, El-Fasher and nearby displacement camps have been targeted in renewed attacks.
In April, a major RSF offensive on the nearby Zamzam camp displaced tens of thousands, many of whom sought refuge in El-Fasher.
Fighting has also intensified in the neighboring Kordofan region, with the International Organization for Migration reporting that around 3,000 people were displaced from the town of Kadugli in South Kordofan in just five days last week due to ongoing violence.
The war between Sudan’s army and the RSF has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and triggered what the UN calls the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.
The conflict has effectively divided the country, with the army controlling the north, east, and center while the RSF holds much of Darfur and parts of the south.
Last year, famine was declared in three camps near El-Fasher, including Abu Shouk and Zamzam.
The UN has warned that the crisis would extend into the city itself by May, although a lack of data has so far prevented an official declaration of famine.
This month, the World Food Programme said thousands of families trapped in El-Fasher are at “risk of starvation.”
According to the WFP, prices for staple foods like sorghum and wheat — used to make traditional flatbreads and porridge — are up to 460 percent higher in El-Fasher compared to other parts of Sudan.
Markets and clinics have been attacked, while community kitchens that once fed displaced families have largely shut down due to a lack of supplies, the UN agency added.
Nearly 40 percent of children under five in El-Fasher are now acutely malnourished, with 11 percent suffering from severe acute malnutrition, according to UN figures.
Malnutrition has already claimed 63 lives — mostly women and children — in just one week in El-Fasher, a senior health official said last week.
At the city’s largest community kitchen, organizers say children and women arriving show clear signs of malnutrition, including swollen bellies and sunken eyes.
The humanitarian crisis is being compounded by a cholera outbreak that is sweeping through overcrowded displacement camps.
Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, said on Thursday that Sudan is experiencing its worst cholera epidemic in years, fueled by the ongoing conflict.
Over the past year, close to 100,000 cholera infections have been recorded, resulting in more than 2,400 deaths.
The outbreak’s current epicenter is in Tawila, roughly 70 kilometers west of El-Fasher.
MSF said that cholera has claimed at least 40 lives in Sudan’s Darfur region just in one week.
Jordan’s crown prince announces reactivation of National Military Service Program
Young Jordanians must be prepared to serve, defend their country, he says
Updated 7 min 7 sec ago
Arab News
AMMAN: Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II announced on Sunday the reactivation of the National Military Service Program during a meeting with youngsters in Irbid Governorate, the Jordan News Agency reported.
Speaking at King Abdullah II Gardens, the crown prince said young Jordanians must be prepared to serve and defend their country, adding that those who have taken part in military service understood the importance of the experience.
He stressed that the program would strengthen national identity and young people’s connection to their homeland, while service with the Jordanian Armed Forces would build character and instill discipline.
Prince Hussein said he had previously directed the government to work with its partners to develop the program, which will follow a clear timetable, with further details to be announced.
The meeting also addressed issues of concern to young people, including information technology, entrepreneurship, volunteerism, and vocational and technical education and training, the Petra agency added.
Participants praised the initiative, saying it would instill the values of active citizenship, refine character, and strengthen national identity.
They also thanked the crown prince for his support of vocational and technical training programs, which they said would help prepare young people to enter the workforce.
Mourners carry the body of Hamdan Abu Aliya, 18, who was killed by Israeli forces following a settler’s attack.
Updated 17 August 2025
AFP
Palestinians bury teen killed by Israeli army near Ramallah
Updated 17 August 2025
AFP
AL-MUGHAYYIR, Palestinian Territories: Dozens of residents of a village in the occupied West Bank on Sunday laid to rest a teen killed by Israeli army fire the previous day, according to Palestinian authorities.
Mourners carried the body of Palestinian Hamdan Abu Aliya, his head wrapped in a traditional keffiyeh scarf, through the streets of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, and chanted nationalist slogans.
“With our souls and our blood, we will redeem you, martyr,” they said during the procession for the 18-year-old, waving Palestinian flags and banners of the Fatah and Hamas movements.
Late Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry announced the “martyrdom of Hamdan Musa Muhammad Abu Aliya... by (Israeli) occupation forces in the town of Al-Mughayyir.”
In response to an inquiry by AFP, the Israeli army said “terrorists” threw stones and Molotov cocktails at its troops during a security operation in the area, and soldiers “responded with fire.”
When the body of Abu Aliya arrived at the family home for a final farewell, his father Musa Abu Aliya said he had a message for the world: “Enough betrayal, enough humiliation, enough insult.”
“No matter how many they kill, time is on our side. It is impossible for us to give up our land,” the father added.
Violence has escalated in the West Bank since the war broke out in the Gaza Strip following Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Since then, at least 971 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, according to figures from the Palestinian health ministry.
During the same period, at least 36 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official Israeli figures.
PM Salam says Lebanese state has reclaimed decisions of war and peace
Spoke of pending issues with Syria and Beirut’s keenness on ties with Riyadh
Updated 17 August 2025
Asharq Al-Awsat
BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stressed that the Lebanese state has restored the decisions of war and peace.
“These decisions are now being taken in Beirut, at cabinet, not anywhere else,” he , the first installment of which was published on Saturday.
“No one is making dictates to us, not from Tehran or Washington,” he added.
Moreover, he underlined the right of the people to hold protests – a reference to Hezbollah supporters rallying against the government’s decision to disarm the Iran-backed group and limit the possession of weapons in the country to the state.
Salam said however, that protesters should not block main roads, including the one leading to Lebanon’s only functional airport in Beirut.
Asked if he believed that the Shiite ministers would resign from cabinet in wake of the decision to disarm Hezbollah, which is Shiite, he responded: “The government is united, but that does not mean that all of its 24 ministers share the same opinion over everything.”
If consensus is not reached over an issue, then disputes and differences are resolved through a vote and other constitutional measures, he explained.
“We are not opposed to anyone turning to the streets to express their views. (...) We respect the right to have a different opinion. But we draw the line at blocking roads. It is forbidden to impede the freedom of movement of the Lebanese people, especially in heading to vital areas, such as the airport or international highway,” he said.
Salam noted that several attempts to block the airport road have been successfully thwarted by the army.
Asked if he has been advised in recent weeks to increase his personal security, the PM replied: “I have a deep sense that the majority of the Lebanese people have confidence in our government. I am acting on this trust and my conscience is clear. I believe that any threats are being made by a small fraction of the Lebanese or some unruly people.”
US special envoy Tom Barrack speaks to the media at the Grand Serail during his visit to Beirut on July 21. (AFP/File Photo)
On US special envoy Tom Barrak’s upcoming highly anticipated visit to Lebanon in wake of the disarmament decision, Salam said the envoy had presented the government with a proposal, which was in turn submitted to cabinet.
“The cabinet actually received an amended version of the proposals – a ‘Lebanonized’ version,” the PM explained. “Not a single patriotic Lebanese citizen can be opposed to the goals listed in the proposal that was adopted by the cabinet.”
He revealed that he along with President Joseph Aoun and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri had direct input in the final drafting of the approved goals.
“No one is opposed to the first article on ending the hostilities immediately. No one is opposed to the complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories. No one is opposed to the return of the displaced people to their villages in the South. No one is opposed to the release of Lebanese detainees by Israel. No one is opposed to reconstruction and holding an international donor conference,” he stressed.
“Let them stop challenging the government about these issues. You are Lebanese. You have read the proposals. Tell me, what issues do you oppose? Let any Lebanese citizen tell me which articles they oppose. Does anyone oppose the international conference? Does anyone oppose the Israeli withdrawal? Does anyone oppose the return of the detainees or displaced? So why this uproar over the government decision?” he asked.
Asharq Al-Awsat countered that perhaps the uproar stems from removing Lebanon from the military conflict with Israel, to which Salam responded: “Lebanon was supposed to be removed from this equation with the adoption of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701. That was around 20 years ago.”
The ceasefire agreement last November and the government’s policy statement only consolidate the resolution, he stated.
“Who doesn’t want to get out of the military conflict with Israel? Up until the year 2000, the resistance (Hezbollah), which I salute, was the main actor in this conflict. Before that, other groups were involved, such as the Communist Party and Communist Action Organization in Lebanon.”
“Hezbollah was the main player in making the enemy withdraw from our occupied territories in 2000. Unfortunately, after that, we spent years discussing whether to deploy the army to the South or not. Why should it even be a contentious debate to allow the army to deploy in its land in the South to protect our people?” he wondered.
The deployment was met with objections and then doubts were raised about the army, continued the PM. “This was a wasted opportunity. The same thing happened with the decisions of war and peace. How could a decision be taken to drag Lebanon to a ‘support war’ (with Gaza)? This never should have happened. The state did not have a say in it,” he said.
“The decisions of war and peace have today returned to the state,” he declared. “Only we decide when to wage a war or not. This does not mean that weapons exist outside the authority of the state. We are now concerned with how to have state monopoly over them.”
War and peace
Asharq Al-Awsat said that the state’s reclaiming of the decisions of war and peace effectively means that “Lebanon has been taken out of the (Resistance) axis that has existed for decades.”
“Yes, I know that,” replied Salam. “They used to brag about certain issues, like saying Tehran controls four Arab capitals. I believe that that time is over. Lebanon’s decisions are being taken from Beirut, at cabinet, not anywhere else. No one dictates to us what to do; not from Tehran or Washington.”
“Is that what you told (Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali) Larijani?” asked Asharq Al-Awsat.
“I issued a statement to clarify the discussions that we had. Of course, I strongly reproached him for the Iranian criticism of the Lebanese government’s disarmament decision,” said the PM. “I informed him that balanced relations between countries, especially between us and Iran, should be based on mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs.”
“We have never allowed ourselves to meddle in Iranian internal affairs. I have never stated that I support one side against the other in Iran. I do not express my opinions on Iranian affairs. I do not express my views about Iran’s defense strategy or internal politics. What I am asking of Iran and any other party is to not meddle in our internal affairs.”
“Statements have been made, and unfortunately, some threatened the government. I told Larijani that this is completely unacceptable in any way, shape or form,” he stressed.
Relations with Washington
Turning to ties with Washington, Asharq Al-Awsat asked if Beirut was receiving the aspired backing from it, to which Salam replied: “Of course not. We had hoped and want to have greater support in making the Israeli enemy withdraw completely from Lebanese territories and stop its daily violations. The United States is the side that is most capable of influencing Israel and it is not doing that enough.”
“I do not feel useless when I hear an Israeli drone flying over Lebanon. I know that today I am incapable of preventing them from flying over Lebanon, but I do not want to embark on a new military adventure. What I can do is garner enough political and diplomatic support to stop these flights and Israel’s hostile acts. We have not reached that goal yet, but more contacts are needed with our Arab brothers, who are effective players on the international arena. Similar contacts are needed with the Europeans and the US,” he added.
He revealed that Barrack’s proposals demand that the US and France pressure Israel to pull out of Lebanon. “This is a positive point that I am revealing for the first time. Israel, meanwhile, has not committed to Barrack’s proposals. We are,” he stressed.
PM Salam meets with Ali Larijani at the Grand Serail in Beirut on August 13. (EPA)
Moreover, Salam stated that the proposals stipulate that Israel would incur some form of penalty if it does not commit to the withdrawal. All parties involved will incur penalties for failing to meet their commitments. For Israel, the penalty would be condemnation by the Security Council, which would be a precedent. The US may actually be ready to condemn Israel for failing to respect its end of the deal.
Asked if Washington had broached the subject of holding negotiations to establish peace between Lebanon and Israel, Salam responded: “Our position is known and clear. The Arab Peace Initiative was adopted during the Beirut summit in 2002. We have no intention of engaging in normalization negotiations or anything of the sort beyond the initiative. This is our plain and simple answer whenever the Americans or others bring up the issue.”
“There is a need, now more than ever, to implement the initiative,” he urged.
Asked about what Lebanon will demand from Barrack during his visit, Salam said he “must guarantee that Israel cease its hostile operations and start withdrawing from Lebanese territories, especially the five points, as stipulated in his proposals.”
The PM added that Speaker Berri was involved in the discussions between him, Aoun and Barrack. “He had reservations about some issues, but was part of the discussions at various points. Aoun, Berri and I introduced amendments to the proposals.”
Relations with Iran
“Do you fear that relations may be severed with Iran?” asked Asharq Al-Awsat.
“Iran is a big country and we boast historic relations with it. I informed Larijani that these relations existed before the establishment of the Islamic Republic. (...) We are very keen on ties between Lebanon and Iran. Iran is among the most important neighbors to the Arab world. We want balanced relations similar to the ones with other neighbors,” Salam said.
Asharq Al-Awsat added: “Iran is the greatest loser with the change that had taken place in Syria. Perhaps it wants to compensate for this loss by maintaining its influence in Lebanon?”
Salam said: “We have an interest in having the best relations with Iran. The other Arab countries share this same interest. Were this not the case, Ƶ would not have reached the Beijing agreement with Iran.”
Pending issues with Syria
Turning to relations with Syria, Salam was asked about his meeting with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus earlier this year. He replied: “I told him that we have long suffered from Syria’s interference in our internal affairs. We are pleased with the change that has happened in Syria. I am also aware that they have suffered from the meddling by some Lebanese parties in their country.”
“We have both suffered. We are now ready to open a new chapter in Lebanese-Syrian relations based on mutual respect and non-interference in the affairs of the other,” the PM stressed.
The pending issues that exist between the two neighbors can only be resolved through joint efforts between them, he continued. “Progress has already been made over cross-border smuggling, especially the smuggling of drugs and weapons. The drugs were being smuggled to the Gulf, which has tarnished Lebanon’s image.”
He said that “major cooperation” was taking place over this issue and it has been sponsored by Ƶ through a meeting between the defense ministers in Jeddah.
Furthermore, Salam added that efforts were ongoing with Syria over securing their shared border. Other issues remain pending, such as Syrian detainees held in Lebanon. “We are ready to discuss the issue with our Syrian brothers to reach a serious solution to this file. I informed them of this during my visit to Damascus. I reiterated this to Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani when we met in Baghdad on the sidelines of the Arab summit.”
“We are both eager to put this file behind us. There is also the issue of Syria refugees in Lebanon. This should be resolved between us and the Syrians and concerned international organizations,” he went on to say. Tens of thousands of Syrians have already returned home in recent months.
“We have declared that we support their safe and dignified return,” he remarked.
Salam added that he requested from Sharaa any information Syrian authorities have over “internal issues that greatly concern Lebanon,” such as the case of the bombing of two mosques in the northern city of Tripoli in 2013 and the 2020 Beirut Port blast.
“Sharaa was very understanding of the requests. I believe we have a new opportunity with the new rulers in Syria to not just put the old relations between us, but to build a balanced relationship with our Syrian brothers,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Asked about how he felt when he saw Sharaa seated at the presidential palace in Damascus instead of Bashar al-Assad, Salam replied: “I used to be Lebanon’s ambassador to the UN when Assad was in his post. Our position remains the same: We want for Syria what its own people want for it. We support what the Syrian people choose. We want to close the Assad chapter; Lebanon suffered a lot from it.”
Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and PM Salam meet in Damascus on April 14. (AFP/File Photo)
Ties with Ƶ
“What about relations with Ƶ?” asked Asharq Al-Awsat.
“Lebanon and Ƶ enjoy historic relations,” he said, citing its major role in the Taif Accords that helped end Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war. He also singled out Prince Saud al-Faisal and his role in the Accords.
Ties between the two countries stretch before the agreement. “The issue isn’t just about bilateral relations. The Kingdom is now a major Arab Islamic international player,” stressed Salam. “We are very keen on relations with the Kingdom and are seeking the greatest support from it in terms of pressuring Iran or supporting Lebanon in its reconstruction and attracting investments.”
He hoped that Ƶ would soon lift its ban on its citizens from traveling to Lebanon. “We can’t say that we have returned to the Arab world; the Arab world must also return to Lebanon. The lifting of the ban would be a very significant development.”
The PM also acknowledged the concerns over the smuggling of drugs to Ƶ and the Kingdom’s ensuing decision to bar imports from Lebanon. Salam hoped that this issue would be resolved soon given that authorities have adopted tougher measures at various land and marine crossings.
“We do not want to smuggle captagon or other illicit material. This damages our image before it harms the Saudis and others. Lebanon’s image has already been tarnished. Our country used to export books, ideas and engineers to the Arab world. This is the image that we want to restore,” Salam said.
Turning to the Gulf countries, he stressed that he is proud of the strides they have made and the accomplishments they have achieved, “but at the same time, we lament the opportunities we have wasted.”
“Lebanon can be a natural partner to their rise,” he went on to say. He also noted the vision of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, who wants to take the Arab world and Kingdom to “not just the 21st Century but its second half through investments in AI and technology.”
“Lebanon, through its universities and human capabilities, is a natural partner to this renaissance project,” he declared.
War on corruption
Returning to Lebanon, Asharq Al-Awsat asked whether the “war on corruption has started.” Salam said it is already underway. Two ministers are being persecuted, and one has been jailed on corruption charges. The other, unfortunately, managed to flee the country.
He noted that former public employees and judges are being persecuted for corruption.
“I am aware of how much Lebanon has suffered in recent years from the looting of public funds and waste that has taken place in several state sectors. We have a project to rebuild the country, which demands a number of issues that are founded on reforms.”
Asked if he regrets becoming prime minister, Salam said: “I have been concerned with public affairs for dozens of years. I grew up in a family that is concerned in public affairs. I have written extensively about reforms in Lebanon. I saw an opportunity and seized it so that I can translate into reality the ambitious reform pledges of this (Aoun’s) term.”
“I was encouraged by Aoun’s swearing in speech. I am today seeking to implement whatever I can,” he revealed.
Asked about online campaigns against him, the PM explained that they are being waged by thousands of bots. “They aren’t even real people. They accuse me of treason and of being a Zionist. Does anyone really believe these claims? Do I need to prove my loyalty to my nation or my stances against Israel? I forgive those making the accusations because they themselves know that they are not true.”
“However, I do not forgive those who are manipulating their supporters with such claims. This is very dangerous, not because of the personal injury to me – I don’t care about that – but because it could lead to civil strife in the country,” he warned.
“Those intimidating us with civil war should first concern themselves with removing the weapons that are the source of this strife,” he demanded.
“I sought last week to defuse tensions, but then came another party to stoke civil tensions by accusing me of being a Zionist and rallying their supporters. Let them cease such behavior, which only pits the people against each other. I am confident that the majority of the Lebanese people agree with me,” he said.
Israeli police use water cannons, arrest dozens as protesters demand hostage deal
The protests come more than a week after Israel’s security cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, following 22 months of war that have created dire humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory
Forty nine captives remain in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead
Updated 17 August 2025
AP
JERUSALEM: Israeli police blasted crowds with water cannons and made dozens of arrests on Sunday as protesters demanding a hostage deal escalated their campaign Sunday with a one-day nationwide strike that blocked roads and closed businesses.
The “day of stoppage” was organized by two groups representing some of the families of hostages and bereaved families, weeks after militant groups released videos of emaciated hostages and Israel announced plans for a new offensive.
Protesters fear further fighting could endanger the hostages who were seized by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 – the attack that triggered the war – and are believed to still be alive in captivity. Israel believes that some 20 are still alive, with Hamas holding the remains of about 30 others.
“We don’t win a war over the bodies of hostages,” protesters chanted.
They gathered at dozens of points throughout Israel, including outside politicians’ homes, military headquarters and on major highways, where they were sprayed with water cannons as they blocked lanes and lit bonfires. Some restaurants and theaters closed in solidarity.
In Tel Aviv, among the protesters was a woman carrying a photo of an emaciated child from Gaza. Such images were once rare at Israeli demonstrations but now appear more often as outrage grows over conditions there.
Police said they had arrested 38 people as part of the nationwide demonstration – one of the fiercest since the uproar over six hostages found dead in Gaza last September.
“Military pressure doesn’t bring hostages back – it only kills them,” former hostage Arbel Yehoud said at a demonstration in Tel Aviv’s hostage square. “The only way to bring them back is through a deal, all at once, without games.”
Netanyahu and allies oppose any deal that leaves Hamas in power
“Today, we stop everything to save and bring back the hostages and soldiers. Today, we stop everything to remember the supreme value of the sanctity of life,” said Anat Angrest, mother of hostage Matan Angrest. “Today, we stop everything to join hands – right, left, center and everything in between.”
Protesters at highway intersections handed out yellow ribbons, the symbol that represents the hostages, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which organized the stoppage, said.
Still, an end to the conflict does not appear near. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded the immediate release of the hostages but is balancing competing pressures, haunted by the potential for mutiny within his coalition.
“Those who today call for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas’s position and delaying the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of Oct. 7 will be repeated,” Netanyahu said on Sunday, in an apparent reference to the demonstrations.
The last time Israel agreed to a ceasefire that released hostages, far-right members of his cabinet threatened to topple Netanyahu’s government.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday called the stoppage “a bad and harmful campaign that plays into Hamas’ hands, buries the hostages in the tunnels and attempts to get Israel to surrender to its enemies and jeopardize its security and future.”
