TEHRAN- Pressure is building up on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his failure to return captives held in the Gaza Strip. 

Since the early stages of Israel’s war on Gaza, Israelis have regularly held protests calling for a ceasefire with Hamas to ensure the release of the captives. 

On Wednesday, thousands of middle school and high school students staged a walkout across Israel to vent their anger at Netanyahu's inability to bring them back 14 months after the start of the Gaza conflict. 

The walkouts were organized by student councils, with approximately 200 schools across Israel participating.

They demanded that the Netanyahu cabinet finalize a ceasefire deal with Hamas. 

More than 1,100 people were killed and about 250 others were taken captive when Hamas carried out a surprise military attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The attack dubbed Al-Aqsa Storm Operation was followed by Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza which has so far claimed the lives of more than 45,000 Palestinians including 17,000 children. 

Hamas released more than 100 captives following a temporary truce with Israel in late November last year. Dozens of the captives still remain in Gaza. Several captives were freed following Israel’s brutal attacks in Gaza and the rest have died as a result of the regime’s strikes on the enclave. 

Mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar have renewed efforts to conclude a ceasefire in Gaza. 

An Israeli delegation has traveled to the region holding talks with the mediators from the three countries. 

On Monday, Israel’s war minister Israel Katz said a deal is closer than ever.

Hamas has described ceasefire talks that were held in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Tuesday as “serious and positive”. The resistance movement said reaching a truce was possible if Israel stopped setting new conditions.

Since launching war on Gaza in October last year, Netanyahu has vowed to continue fighting until defeating Hamas and returning captives but has been unable to deliver on his promises. 

Reports say Netanyahu will soon agree to a ceasefire with Hamas. 

However, his coalition remains divided over a potential truce. 

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called the potential ceasefire deal a “serious error”. 

“Hamas is at its lowest point since the beginning of the war, and this is not the time to give it a lifeline,” Smotrich told Israeli media as the Israeli army’s goal of eliminating the resistance movement remains elusive. 

Netanyahu desperately needs a ceasefire with Hamas to pacify domestic protesters who are calling for the return of the remaining captives. 

However, a ceasefire and the release of captives may subsequently redirect public focus towards Netanyahu’s failure to avert the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation and the existing corruption charges against him.