Israeli mothers of soldiers captured in war have been staging unconventional protests in Tel Aviv, demanding a prisoner exchange. As the Israeli government faces international condemnation for its actions in Gaza, the issue of captive soldiers has become a focal point of domestic discontent.
Mothers of Israeli captives have initiated protests in Jerusalem for several weeks, focusing on the issue of prisoner exchanges through unconventional methods. The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz reported that these demonstrations were organized by a group known as “Shift 101” in support of prisoner swaps between the Israeli regime and Palestinian resistance.
Shift 101 is a group led by mothers of hostages advocating for the hostages through non-violent protest.
Thousands of Israelis protested in a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Friday in front of the Metzudat Ze’ev building alongside the Shift 101 protest group demanding the government take more sufficient action to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
After weeks of the group hosting protests near government institutions in Jerusalem, this is the first time they’ve done it in Tel Aviv.
Mothers’ Plea: A Silent Protest
In a unique tactic, the Israeli protesters have been sitting on the ground and refraining from chanting slogans, aiming to challenge Israeli occupation forces on how to respond to peaceful demonstrations.
During the irreparable defeat suffered by the Zionist regime in Operation Al-Aqsa, launched by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas on October 7th of last year, approximately 250 Israelis were captured by the resistance. Subsequently, during an exchange between the regime and the resistance front, an additional 100 Israelis remained in captivity.
The Zionist regime, which launched a genocidal war in Israel last October to eliminate Hamas and free its captives, has so far massacred over 44,000 people in Gaza, but has failed to achieve either of these objectives.