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Families of Hostages Call for Netanyahu’s Ouster, Blame Him as Obstacle to Deal
Families and supporters of hostages kidnapped in the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist terror group Hamas, take part in the four day march from Reim to Jerusalem to call for the release of hostages, as they enter in Jerusalem, March 2, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – Relatives of 20 hostages currently held by Hamas in Gaza have expressed their frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, blaming him for the failure of negotiations to secure the release of their loved ones.
Among these relatives are Ayala Metzger, whose father-in-law Yoram Metzger is one of the captives, and Einav Zangauker, the mother of Matan Zangauker, also held in Gaza.
In a press statement, the families accused Netanyahu of obstructing potential deals by rejecting offers for hostage releases and adopting a hardened stance in talks with Hamas. They criticized the prime minister for making unilateral decisions without consulting the cabinet and accused him of prioritizing his personal interests over the welfare of the hostages.
“The prime minister’s actions have been deeply disappointing and have only made the situation worse,” said Ayala Metzger. “We feel betrayed by his lack of commitment to securing the release of our loved ones.”
Einav Zangauker echoed these sentiments, stating, “Netanyahu’s refusal to engage constructively in negotiations is prolonging the suffering of our families. It’s time for him to step aside and allow someone else to lead efforts to bring our relatives home.”
The families further lamented what they described as a smear campaign orchestrated by the coalition against them.
Tel Aviv, Kaplan Bd – The weekly demo for early elections and for the liberation of the Israeli hostages has just started. pic.twitter.com/WfTBloV0y2
— Pierre Klochendler (@P_Klochendler) March 30, 2024
They asserted that Netanyahu’s conduct was unacceptable and amounted to criminal behavior. Expressing their frustration, they announced their intention to work towards replacing him as prime minister, believing that a change in leadership would expedite efforts to secure a deal for the hostages’ release.
Meanwhile, protests demanding Netanyahu’s resignation have intensified in recent weeks. In a demonstration held near the prime minister’s private residence in Caesarea on Saturday evening, hundreds of people gathered, carrying signs and chanting slogans calling for his ouster.
Israelis rally to demand a hostage deal and early elections
‘Some of the hostages’ families have already stated Netanyahu is responsible for putting obstacles to reaching a deal. Therefore, they’re forced to take action to remove him from power’ — Our @P_Klochendler reports pic.twitter.com/q4iGMIOxUh
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) March 30, 2024
Among the speakers at the rally was Amos Malka, a former head of the Israel Defense Forces’ Military Intelligence Directorate, who accused Netanyahu of abandoning the hostages in Gaza.
“If the families knew how small the gap is, which Netanyahu is refusing to close in negotiations with Hamas, they would explode,” said Malka. “This is more evidence of his unsuitability to serve.”
In an interview with The Times of Israel, Malka clarified that while there were shared failures leading up to the current situation, the responsibility for events since October 7 lay squarely on Netanyahu’s shoulders.
The post Families of Hostages Call for Netanyahu’s Ouster, Blame Him as Obstacle to Deal first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Trump Is Lying When He Speaks of Peace
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with government officials in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Donald Trump on Saturday of lying when the US president said during his Gulf tour this week that he wanted peace in the region.
On the contrary, said Khamenei, the United States uses its power to give “10-ton bombs to the Zionist (Israeli) regime to drop on the heads of Gaza’s children.”
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after departing the United Arab Emirates on Friday that Iran had to move quickly on a US proposal for its nuclear program or “something bad’s going to happen.”
His remarks, said Khamenei, “aren’t even worth responding to.” They are an “embarrassment to the speaker and the American people,” Khamenei added.
“Undoubtedly, the source of corruption, war, and conflict in this region is the Zionist regime — a dangerous, deadly cancerous tumor that must be uprooted; it will be uprooted,” he said at an event at a religious center in Tehran, according to state media.
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Trump speaks about peace while simultaneously making threats.
“Which should we believe?” Pezeshkian said at a naval event in Tehran. “On the one hand, he speaks of peace and on the other, he threatens with the most advanced tools of mass killing.”
Tehran would continue Iran-US nuclear talks but is not afraid of threats. “We are not seeking war,” Pezeshkian said.
While Trump said on Friday that Iran had a US proposal about its nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in a post on X said Tehran had not received any such proposal. “There is no scenario in which Iran abandons its hard-earned right to (uranium) enrichment for peaceful purposes…” he said.
Araqchi warned on Saturday that Washington’s constant change of stance prolongs nuclear talks, state TV reported.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that America repeatedly defines a new framework for negotiations that prolongs the process,” the broadcast quoted Araqchi as saying.
Pezeshkian said Iran would not “back down from our legitimate rights”.
“Because we refuse to bow to bullying, they say we are source of instability in the region,” he said.
A fourth round of Iran-U.S. talks ended in Oman last Sunday. A new round has not been scheduled yet.
The post Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Trump Is Lying When He Speaks of Peace first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas Confirms New Gaza Ceasefire Talks with Israel in Qatar on Saturday
Doha, Qatar. Photo: StellarD via Wikimedia Commons.
A new round of Gaza ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel is underway in Qatar’s Doha, Hamas official Taher al-Nono told Reuters on Saturday.
He said the two sides were discussing all issues without “pre-conditions.”
Nono said Hamas was “keen to exert all the effort needed” to help mediators make the negotiations a success, adding there was “no certain offer on the table.”
The negotiations come despite Israel preparing to expand operations in the Gaza Strip as they seek “operational control” in some areas of the war-torn enclave.
The return to negotiations also comes after US President Donald Trump ended a Middle East tour on Friday with no apparent progress towards a new ceasefire, although he acknowledged Gaza’s growing hunger crisis and the need for aid deliveries.
The post Hamas Confirms New Gaza Ceasefire Talks with Israel in Qatar on Saturday first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Report: ICC’s Khan Goes on Administrative Leave Amid Sexual Misconduct Probe
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks during an interview with Reuters in The Hague, Netherlands, Feb. 12, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
i24 News – Chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan has stepped down temporarily as an investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct by United Nations investigators is nearing its final phase, Reuters reported on Friday citing sources from the international court.
Khan allegedly forced sexual intercourse upon a member of staff on multiple occasions, the Wall Street Journal reported last week, linking the allegations to Khan’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defense minister Yoav Gallant.
A statement is expected later today announcing that Khan is going on administrative leave, according to a source in the prosecutor’s office.
The post Report: ICC’s Khan Goes on Administrative Leave Amid Sexual Misconduct Probe first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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