Public demonstrations continued in Israel as thousands of protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Wednesday, calling on the government to strike a deal with Hamas to free the remaining hostages in Gaza.

The protest came after families of hostages stormed a committee meeting in the Israeli parliament on Monday, demanding more be done to secure their release. On the same day, a senior Egyptian official said Israel proposed a two-month ceasefire.

What You Need To Know

  • Israeli officials are facing increasing public pressure to bring hostages home

  • Efforts to reach a new pause in the fighting appear to be picking up steam

  • Israel believes about 130 hostages are still in Gaza, of which about 100 are still alive

First reported by Axios, Israel's proposed two-month pause includes a phased release of all the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees imprisoned in Israel. Egypt, which has brokered past agreements between Israel and Hamas, says the deal would also allow top Hamas leaders in Gaza to relocate to other countries. What it does not include is any agreement to end the fighting.

"I think the last part is the catch," said Navin Bapat, a Dowd professor of peace and war in political science and the chair of the curriculum of peace, war, and defense at UNC. "What Hamas would likely want if they were going to release the hostages, is a guarantee the war would stop."

Israel has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed. Roughly 110 days into the war, "The Wall Street Journal" reports U.S. intelligence agencies estimate Israeli forces have killed 20% to 30% of Hamas' fighters. According to Gaza's Ministry of Health and international aid agencies, over 25,000 Palestinians have died, and 85% of Gaza's population has been displaced.

Another sticking point is the creation of a Palestinian state. The Biden administration, the European Union and Arab leaders have said it's the only way to bring sustained peace to the Middle East, but Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have rejected the idea.

"The two-state solution is something I think most parties are in agreement upon, at least internationally," Bapat said. "But in recent months the prime minister has indicated he's not interested."

In the meantime, there are continued fears the fighting will spill over into a wider regional conflict. Since the Israel-Hamas war began, there have been more than 151 attacks on U.S. facilities and troops in Syria and Iraq.

This week the U.S. and U.K. carried out additional strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The rebel group has launched a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea, a critical artery for global shipping. The Iranian-backed group says it will only stop when Israel ends its war in Gaza. The two months of attacks have driven up shipping costs as hundreds of cargo ships are being rerouted.

"A lot of products that go through those lanes and now they're going to be diverted," Bapat said. "They're diverting around the Cape of Good Hope, which is a long way around that's going to add maybe nine to 10 days to travel, so that delays the supply chain."