A masked protestor attempted to disrupt an Israel Day Parade on Sunday with a sign that said “Kill Hostages Now.”

Decked in a black mask, black shirt and wearing the Palestinian flag as a cape, he was part of a group that was in a face-off with pro-Israeli people near the parade route. The New York parade was attended by numerous family members of hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas and taken to Gaza on October 7.

At one point, NYPD had to break up a face-to-face between the two groups before violence broke out, during the tense exchange on Fifth Avenue between 79th and 80th streets. This year’s parade came amid heightened police security due to increased reports of anti-Semitic incidents.

An Israeli supporter and a man whose face was covered with a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian scarf, squared off in a tense moment. The man was heard saying “Don’t step up to me”.

It follows the attacks on October 7 by Hamas, and the continued destruction of Gaza by Israeli strikes that killed many Palestinians. This year’s parade was also marked by calls for Hamas to release Israelis captured on Oct. 7 that remain in captivity.

The parade comes as Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has declared that there will be no lasting ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas’s governing and military capabilities are obliterated and all hostages are set free. This statement follows US President Joe Biden’s disclosure that Israel proposed a three-step plan to Hamas, aiming for a permanent ceasefire. In response, a high-ranking Hamas politician told the BBC, “it will go for this deal” if Israel follows through.

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These developments occur as Rafah continues to suffer from ongoing strikes, with additional reports of attacks in the city on Egypt’s border with Gaza. However, there is no assurance that Biden’s pressure on both parties to accept the plan will lead to a sustainable agreement.

In a Saturday statement, Netanyahu’s office reiterated that Israel’s “conditions for ending the war have not changed,” outlining them as “the destruction of Hamas military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel”. The statement further emphasized that Israel would “continue to insist these conditions are met” before agreeing to a permanent ceasefire, stressing that no agreement could be reached without fulfilling these conditions.

Biden described the plan as a comprehensive proposal that would ultimately result in a permanent ceasefire. The first phase would include a full and complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas and the exchange of some hostages for Palestinian prisoners. While the first phase would reportedly last around six weeks, if it were to take longer the ceasefire would be extended.

Next would be a “permanent end to hostilities”. This phase would also include the release of remaining live hostages, including soldiers. The final phase would see the remains of any deceased Israeli hostages returned, as well as a “major reconstruction plan” with US and international assistance to rebuild homes, schools and hospitals, Biden said. A total end to the conflict has been a key Hamas demand to engage in talks.