On the eve of the departure of the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu for Washington, hundreds of Israelis demonstrated yesterday Sunday in the international Ben Gurion Airportnear Tel Aviv.

Demonstrators demanded that the Israeli prime minister not travel to the US before signing an agreement on release of dozens of hostages which is still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Haaretz newspaper reported in its digital edition.

Among the protesters were relatives of hostages.

The nephew of the Hamas hostage said that “most” citizens of Israel “know that Netanyahu makes decisions that serve only his own interest.” Most Israelis, he insisted, see him abandoning the hostages and sabotaging indirect negotiations for a ceasefire and their release.

Mr. Netanyahu’s government partners oppose any concessions to Hamas and threaten to topple the government if one is made.

If early elections were held in Israel, opinion polls suggest that Likud, Israel’s ruling right-wing party leading an alliance with far-right parties and ultra-Orthodox Jewish factions, has little chance of victory.

Mr. Netanyahu plans to leave for Washington later in the day.

He plans to meet with outgoing US President Joe Biden on Tuesday.

Then, the day after tomorrow, Wednesday, he is expected to deliver a speech before the full session of both houses of the American Congress.

Mr. Biden’s announcement that he is withdrawing his candidacy for re-election ahead of the November election overshadows the visit of the Israeli prime minister.