Protests Erupt in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv Over Government’s Crisis Handling
Thousands of individuals have taken to the streets in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to express their dissatisfaction with the Israeli government’s response to the recent crisis. Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the government’s lack of preparedness for the October 7 attacks by Palestinian group Hamas and its subsequent handling of the hostage situation.
Outside Netanyahu’s residence, police had to hold back hundreds of protesters on Saturday. Demonstrators, waving blue and white Israeli flags, chanted “Jail now!” as they broke through security barriers. In Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial hub, several thousand protestors, including the relatives and friends of some of the captives, chanted “Bring them home now.”
Hadas Kalderon, who claimed that five members of her family were among the kidnapped, expressed her demands from the government, stating, “I expect and demand that my government think outside the box.” She further described her distress, saying, “I find myself in hell. Every day I wake up to another day of war—a war for the life of my children.”
Netanyahu has not taken personal responsibility for the failures that allowed the surprise assault, where hundreds of Hamas fighters invaded southern Israel on October 7, resulting in over 1,400 casualties and at least 240 hostages. Since then, Israel’s war on Gaza has caused the deaths of over 9,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left substantial parts of the besieged region in ruins.
Public anger in Israel has been escalating, particularly among families whose relatives are held captive in Gaza. They have criticized the government’s response and demanded the safe return of their loved ones. Netanyahu, who was already a divisive figure due to corruption charges (which he denies) and his attempts to limit judicial powers, witnessed widespread protests prior to the war.
A recent poll conducted by Israel’s Channel 13 Television revealed that 76% of Israelis believe Netanyahu should resign, while 64% think an election should be held immediately after the war. In terms of blame for the attack, 44% of Israelis hold Netanyahu responsible, 33% point fingers at the military chief of staff and senior Israeli Defence Force officials, and 5% accuse the defense minister, according to the poll.
Meanwhile, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Saturday that the US is advocating for “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza. However, officials from Jordan and Egypt, during a joint press conference in Amman, emphasized the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, echoing the sentiments of other Arab leaders.
As tensions remain high, the armed wing of Hamas declared that over 60 hostages are missing due to Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades, conveyed on Hamas’s Telegram account that 23 Israeli hostages’ bodies are trapped beneath the rubble. Obeida expressed his pessimism about reaching them due to the ongoing brutal aggression against Gaza.