Trump speaks about the necessity of ending the Gaza war, and Israeli protesters block a major road.

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed today, Friday, that the situation in the besieged Gaza Strip "must end" as soon as possible, noting that some families of the prisoners do not oppose the occupation of Gaza. This came during an interview where he pointed out that Hamas is currently holding 20 people, but the number may be lower due to the absence of two of them.

Trump emphasized that he is working "with all his might" to "secure the release of the remaining prisoners," explaining that he is cooperating with his special envoy Steve Witkoff and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He affirmed that without his efforts, the prisoners would be in great danger.

In a related context, Israeli Channel 13 conducted an investigation into how Netanyahu has obstructed deals related to Israel's war on Gaza, indicating that Israel has missed five opportunities to reach an agreement for the return of the prisoners, raising questions about the government's credibility.

Since the outbreak of the Israeli aggression on Gaza about 22 months ago, the need for decisive American intervention to stop the ongoing aggression has increased. Analysts believe that any strong American move could change the rules of the war, especially if it comes from a politically influential figure like Trump.

At the same time, Israel witnessed widespread protests as Israeli demonstrators blocked major roads, including the Ayalon Highway that connects Tel Aviv to its suburbs, as part of popular protests to pressure the government to finalize a prisoner exchange deal and end the war.

The demonstrators set up a table in the middle of the street as a symbol of the prisoners' suffering and set it on fire. In Jerusalem, families of the prisoners protested in front of the government headquarters, asserting that the government lacks a popular mandate to continue the war.

The families of the prisoners announced a wide movement next Tuesday to pressure for the release of their loved ones, with some mothers accusing Netanyahu of deceiving them regarding a comprehensive deal.

The Hamas movement confirmed its readiness to release Israeli prisoners in exchange for ending the aggression and the withdrawal of the occupying army from Gaza, but Netanyahu has imposed new conditions that hinder negotiations.

Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation has been committing genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, and destruction, resulting in the martyrdom of 61,499 Palestinians and the injury of 153,575, in addition to hundreds of thousands of displaced persons.