Protests against the way Netanyahu conducted the war against Hamas militants gained momentum.
Jerusalem:
Thousands of Israelis protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on Monday over the war in Gaza and the failure to negotiate the release of dozens of hostages still being held in the Palestinian territory.
Protests against Netanyahu’s handling of the war against Hamas militants have gained momentum, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets of Israel’s largest city, Tel Aviv, every weekend.
But protesters traveled to Jerusalem to demonstrate outside the Israeli parliament and Netanyahu’s residence on Monday, calling for new elections as part of what was dubbed a week of unrest by activists.
“All the actions he takes are aimed at the destruction of Israel. He was responsible for what happened on October 7,” said retired civil engineer Moshe Sandarovich, 73.
“Now he is destroying everything. Even though there is war now, every day that the war continues with him is a worse day.”
Armed with drums, horns and signs calling for new elections, thousands of protesters, old and young, called for a ceasefire to bring the remaining Gaza hostages home.
After speeches by activists addressed to the crowd, protesters chanted “All of them! Now!” call for the full return of the hostages, before holding a somber moment of silence for those left behind in Hamas-controlled territory.
Hamas militants captured 251 hostages on October 7, of whom Israel believes 116 remain in Gaza, including 41 the army says are dead.
The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory bombings and ground offensive in Gaza killed 37,347 people, also mostly civilians, according to the territory’s Ministry of Health.
Other participants in the protest in Jerusalem wore shirts with slogans that included “stop the war” and “we are all created equal.”
Some people in Jerusalem said it was time to end the war in Gaza and hoped equality would be prioritized by the country’s politicians.
“After 75 years of this country’s existence and eight months of war, the division is not equal. It must be changed,” said Kfir Roffe, a 50-year-old protester.
“We need to be equal, Muslims, Christians, all people in Israel must unite.”
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