west jerusalem “I don’t believe in this war and I don’t believe that its objectives can be achieved,” said Avital Suisa, 39.

“This war is meaningless”

Suissa is no different, though his outspokenness is not typical of Israelis.

She is an activist from West Jerusalem who strongly believes in a two-state solution, even as Israeli society moves away from that position and one-state apartheid rule becomes more entrenched on the ground.

Suisa also regularly travels to the occupied West Bank to try to deter and even stop settlers from attacking vulnerable Palestinian Bedouin.

But while Suisa sits firmly on the left of Israeli politics and is in the minority when it comes to her activism, calls for a ceasefire in Israel are growing for a variety of reasons.

Some believe a ceasefire is the best way to save Israeli prisoners held by Hamas, but add that killing innocent people in Gaza will endanger Israel’s security in the long run. There are some people. Some want only a temporary halt, while others, like Suissa, want a permanent end to the fighting.

Since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas’ Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian militants that killed 1,139 people and captured nearly 250, Israel has killed more than 30,600 people in the Gaza Strip and killed civilians. It starved people and destroyed over 70% of the population. enclave.

Israel’s stated goal is to “eradicate Hamas,” but its scorched-earth tactics have resulted in the deliberate and unjust killing of thousands of civilians, including women and children.

The atrocities sparked outrage around the world and prompted U.S. and European officials to call for a ceasefire, with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris calling for a six-week cessation of fighting on March 4.

But for Suisa, calls for a temporary break are not enough.

“Of course, the fact that nearly 1,200 people died on October 7th, some in brutal ways, is horrifying. But that doesn’t justify murder. [more than] “The 30,000 people in Gaza, many of them children and women, did nothing for me,” Suissa told NDMT.

prisoner exchange

On Sunday, families of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas marched from southern Israel to downtown West Jerusalem, demanding the immediate release of their loved ones. Many in the crowd told NDMT they supported a ceasefire to allow loved ones to return home.

“We understand that it will be impossible to bring back all the hostages.” [through military means]. The rational way is to bring everyone back by agreement,” said Shay Bikman, a 28-year-old Israeli medical student whose aunt was killed and his cousin was taken prisoner on October 7.

She did not say whether she supported a temporary or complete ceasefire, but said she would defer to the Israeli government’s decision and recognized that “signing agreements with terrorist organizations is problematic.” Ta.

Although Hamas is considered a “terrorist” organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union, many Palestinians view it as a legitimate resistance group.

Despite his views on signing a deal with Hamas, Bikman added that he does not want revenge, but wants to live in peace with his neighbors.

A temporary ceasefire brokered in November saw the release of 110 Israeli prisoners in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

A new prisoner exchange may offer hope to countless Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza whose loved ones have been illegally arrested or disappeared by Israeli forces.

Israel is holding about 9,070 Palestinian political prisoners, up from 5,200 held before October 7, according to Adamer, which monitors Palestinian detainees.

Many Palestinians, including children, have been arrested and held in administrative detention without charge for expressing sympathy for Palestinians or waving Palestinian flags in the Gaza Strip.

Adamer told NDMT that the number of detainees does not include the many Palestinians who are being held, interrogated and tortured in Israeli bases and temporary detention in Gaza.

Israeli retaliatory violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip has forced some Israelis to call for a permanent ceasefire.

“I think we need a ceasefire to promote better places and regions.” [for Palestinians and Israelis]. That would be a start,” said Naima, an Israeli. Naima declined to give his last name, citing Israel’s polarized political climate.

return to normal

Many Israelis also told NDMT that although the impact on daily life in Israel has been minor compared to the destruction of Gaza, which has changed the lives of 2.3 million Palestinians, they are eager for a return to normal life. he said.

However, Israel’s economy has been affected by Israel’s continuing war in Gaza. The construction sector has been hard hit, with international and domestic tourism numbers flat since October 7, as the sector struggled to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pria Kettner, 39, said most service industries, including restaurants catering to tourists, have been hit hard economically.

“I hope that once the war is over and tourists come back, we can rebuild,” she told NDMT.

Despite economic hardship, about half of the population wants to continue the indefinite war in Gaza until Hamas is eradicated, Kettner added, and the other half want to ensure the release of Israeli prisoners. He added that he believed negotiating a ceasefire for the sake of peace was a top priority.

However, experts and commentators have long argued that Hamas cannot be defeated in any demonstrative sense and that all-out war in Gaza will not strengthen Israel’s security.

Ms Suisa said Israel’s war in Gaza had caused great suffering and would perpetuate a new “cycle of violence”.

“Many people in Gaza grew up in such terrible conditions, which made them [fighters] They became,” she said.

According to the rights, Mr. Suisa spoke about Israel’s 18-year blockade of Gaza, which turned the enclave into an “open-air prison,” deprived generations of graduates of hope for the future, and caused the extreme poverty in which Gaza has suffered for years. He was said to have mentioned it. group.

“i don’t believe [some Israelis] Those who say the Palestinians just want to kill us. We hope that Israel will engage in a peace process that gives hope to everyone,” Suisa said.

“I want to break the vicious cycle.”