Thousands of Israeli Protesters Call for Netanyahu’s Removal – Thousands of individuals across Israel have united with hostage families in a demonstration against the government, urging for the ousting of Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli Prime Minister is facing one of his most significant challenges to his coalition yet. Demonstrators in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Be’er Sheva, Caesarea, and other cities convened on Saturday, demanding the liberation of those still held captive in Gaza.
They denounced the PM as an impediment to resolution, pledging to persist until he relinquishes power. A statement released from his office on Sunday announced that the Israeli Prime Minister would undergo hernia surgery during a routine examination. Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin will assume the role of acting prime minister during his sedation.
The countrywide demonstrations aligned with updates from Al-Qahera, an Egyptian TV channel with known connections to the nation’s intelligence services, which suggested that talks for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas were set to recommence in Cairo on Sunday. “It’s been 176 days that I haven’t turned a blind eye to the thoughts and fear of what my son and the other abductees are going through,” said Shira Albag, the mother of the hostage Liri Albag.
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“The people of Israel won’t forget or forgive anyone who prevents a deal that would bring them [the hostages] back to us. After 176 days, 4,224 hours, the excuses have run out.” Raz Ben-Ami, a former hostage freed nearly two months ago, said: “They [the hostages] won’t last there, no one can survive what they go through there, believe me.”
Protesters called out that they “will not stop until they’re all home”, chanting “enough killing, enough despair, the hostages are the most important thing”. Police employed water cannons to scatter demonstrators and detained 16 individuals.
The families of hostages have implored ministers, including Netanyahu’s political adversary and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz, to join forces with other Knesset members in ousting Netanyahu from authority, alleging that the PM deliberately undermined endeavors to secure the liberation of their loved ones.
Einav Zangauker, the mother of Matan Zangauker, who remains captive in Gaza, denounced Netanyahu’s management of the hostage situation as “incomprehensible and criminal.” “Prime Minister Netanyahu, after you abandoned our families on October 7, and after 176 days when you didn’t bring a deal [for their return], and because you are continually engaged in torpedoing a deal, we have realised that you are the obstacle to the deal. You are the obstacle.”
“You are the one who stands between us and the return home of our loved ones,” she said. “If we don’t immediately act to move you away from the steering wheel, we won’t get to see our loved ones returning home alive and fast, and we won’t get to see our dead returned for burial in Israel. So today we are compelled to begin a new stage in our struggle.”
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Saturday evening saw hundreds assembling outside Netanyahu’s personal residence in Jerusalem, while another large-scale protest was anticipated in the city on Sunday, with some intending to establish tent camps near the Knesset. “If the families knew how small the gap is, which Netanyahu is refusing to close in negotiations with Hamas, they would explode,” said Amos Malka, a former head of the Israel Defense Forces’ military intelligence directorate who was among the speakers at the rally in Tel Aviv.
“This is more evidence of his unsuitability to serve.” In October, the conflict erupted following a Hamas attack in southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals, predominantly civilians, and the abduction of approximately 250 others. Israel suspects that around 130 of these captives remain in Gaza, with 34 presumed deceased.
Since the October incident, Israel’s military offensive has claimed around 32,705 lives in Gaza, with the majority being women and children, as reported by local health authorities. The relentless airstrikes have devastated large portions of the region, leading to the displacement of over 80% of its population. Overnight Israeli strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 75 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza under Hamas control.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu faces another significant challenge as Israel’s supreme court ruled to cease government subsidies for many ultra-Orthodox men who do not serve in the army, effective Monday. This decision has caused a divide within his coalition, particularly concerning the issue of military enlistment.
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The court’s ruling comes after repeated delays by the government in presenting a proposal aimed at increasing military enlistment among ultra-Orthodox men, who historically were exempt from conscription. As Israel’s armed forces continue their nearly six-month-long campaign in Gaza, with 500 soldiers lost in the conflict, both government and opposition lawmakers have advocated for placing greater military service obligations on the Haredi community, rather than burdening those already in service.
The two ultra-Orthodox parties in Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition, United Torah Judaism and Shas, condemned the ruling, describing it as a “mark of Cain.” The departure of the ultra-Orthodox parties from the government could lead to new elections, with Netanyahu currently facing a significant deficit in the polls.