Bereaved Families Protest Israeli Cabinet Over Gaza Deal and Foreign Troops
Bereaved families and activists protested outside the Israeli Security Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on Thursday evening, urging ministers to reject a proposed agreement with Hamas and oppose the introduction of foreign forces into the Gaza Strip. The demonstrators, including members of the Bereaved Families Forum and the Sovereignty Movement, called on the government to reject the U.S. President Donald Trump's "roadmap" plan for Gaza.
Settlement Minister Ayelet Struck met with the protesters and declared her opposition to the roadmap, describing it as a "roadmap to terror" rather than peace. She criticized the plan for disregarding the sacrifices of Israeli soldiers and warned that it would increase risks to Israel rather than reduce them. Struck said, "This is a disgraceful document that insults everything promised to the State of Israel and the blood of the fallen soldiers. This is not a roadmap, it is a roadmap of blood."
Itzik Pitusi, father of fallen soldier Yishai and acting chairman of the Bereaved Families Forum, addressed the ministers, calling the roadmap a potential "next bloodbath" for Israel. He emphasized that no foreign military force could protect Israel or disarm Hamas and urged the cabinet to prioritize Israel's security and borders to ensure calm in both the north and south.
Other family members, including Asher Gedaliah and Nava Lisha, also spoke out against the plan, stressing that the war’s goal was to dismantle Hamas and that returning territory to Hamas under any guise would betray the soldiers’ sacrifices. Lisha warned against allowing a multinational force to act as a cover for Hamas.
Leaders of the Sovereignty Movement, Yehudit Katzover and Nadia Matar, joined the protest, urging ministers to reject the "terrible" 20-point agreement and continue expanding Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. They called for no concessions to Hamas and for Gaza and the West Bank to remain under Israeli control.
