The family of the Israeli soldier Nimrod Cohen, held captive in Gaza, released new photos documenting the first moments of his capture by Palestinian resistance during the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7, 2023. Nimrod’s mother urged the Israeli government to quickly reach a prisoner exchange deal and not to undermine the proposed agreement to end the war and return all detainees from Gaza. The Israeli Prisoners’ Families Committee in Gaza declared it will not accept the failure of the exchange deal again, calling for unity and fighting for the return of prisoners. They also urged people to take to the streets on Tuesday to demand the release of all detainees. Nimrod’s father, Yehuda Cohen, expressed support for European countries’ policies against Tel Aviv and hopes the EU will impose sanctions on the “sick state” called Israel.

Since the Israeli government’s announcement of a plan to fully occupy Gaza earlier this month, protests, strikes, road closures, clashes, and arrests have occurred in Israel. Prisoners’ families demand a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, accusing him of sabotaging negotiations. Families fear the government’s plan will lead to the death of their children. At the end of 2024, they made an urgent appeal to US President Donald Trump, calling him the “last resort” to pressure Netanyahu for a comprehensive exchange deal. Israeli families say 41 prisoners who were alive have been killed due to Israeli military operations in Gaza since the war began.

Israel estimates there are 50 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, 20 of whom are alive, while more than 10,800 Palestinians suffer torture, starvation, and medical neglect in Israeli prisons, resulting in many deaths according to Palestinian and Israeli reports. Since October 2023, Israel has waged a genocidal war on Gaza’s population, including killing, starving, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring international calls to stop the war and International Court of Justice orders. The Israeli genocide has resulted in 62,686 Palestinian martyrs, 157,951 injured, mostly children and women, over 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and famine killing 300 Palestinians, including 117 children.