On the day four female soldiers held captive by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip were released in exchange for the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, thousands of people demonstrated again at Israel late yesterday, Saturday, to demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government fully abide by the cease-fire agreement concluded ten days ago and implemented last Sunday.

Rallies were held in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem and elsewhere. Participants and attendees held placards with slogans such as “stop the war”, “leave no hostage behind”, “90 more days to make it happen”.

In the first phase of the 42-day deal, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in exchange for the release of 1,904 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention centers; the remaining Israeli hostages, living and dead, are to be repatriated in the next two phases.

Indirect negotiations between the Netanyahu government and a delegation of Palestinian movements mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the US are expected to resume soon to concretize the second and third phases. However, whether a deal will be struck remains open at this stage and many in Israel fear that war will resume when the first phase ends.