A crowd of Gazans on the beach. The images, filmed in Deir al-Balah, in the center of the Gaza Strip and widely relayed by the Arab media, caused teeth in Israel to cringe.
On social media, many expressed their frustration, noting that life was returning to normal in the Palestinian territory, while 133 hostages, including 95 presumed alive, were still in the hands of Hamas, with no prospect of release. Others noted that despite the IDF’s denials, the Gazan population was returning to the course of their lives in the center and north of Gaza.
MP Zeev Elkin, a member of the center-right New Hope party, was among those who expressed their anger. Questioning Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Gallant and Minister Gantz, he wrote on under pressure, and that he is not ready for an agreement to release the hostages. No wonder Iran is directly attacking Israel with hundreds of missiles. You said at the start of the war that all the enemies. ‘Israel would see what is happening in Gaza. And indeed, they do!’
Another sign of life resuming, Gazans returning to the north of the territory, but also bakeries which have reopened and are being stormed by customers.
At the same time, humanitarian aid continues to flow into the coastal strip. The Office of the Coordinator of Government Operations in the Territories reported on Wednesday that as many as 700 trucks verified by the IDF were stationed on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, awaiting distribution of their contents.
