Call for an end to the Gaza war
Thousands protest against Netanyahu government in Israel
January 20, 2024, 9:42 p.m
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After a hostage exchange in November, Hamas announced that it would not release more people until Israel’s military withdrew. Prime Minister Netanyahu says that only a victory will lead to the release of the abductees. Many people in Israel see it differently. Protests break out again.
Thousands of people demonstrated in Israel today against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv, participants in a rally demanded an immediate end to the Gaza war in order to free the more than 100 hostages held by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. “Stop fighting, pay the price!” Israeli media quoted one of the speakers, whose cousin is among the hostages, as saying.
After an initial exchange of 105 hostages for 240 Palestinian prisoners at the end of November, Hamas only wants to release the others it abducted when Israel’s military withdraws from the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu and his colleagues, however, say that only the military defeat of Hamas can lead to the liberation of the abductees. In the northern port city of Haifa, several hundred supporters of the left-wing Chadash party demanded the head of government resign.
Several hundred people also took to the streets in Jerusalem against the Netanyahu government. Relatives of the hostages and sympathizers had already started a sustained protest on Friday evening in front of Netanyahu’s home in the coastal town of Caesarea, 50 kilometers north of Tel Aviv. “We expect serious people (…) to come out and give us real answers about how our loved ones are doing,” the news portal “haaretz.com” quoted a hostage relative as saying.
Hamas and other extremist organizations attacked southern Israel on October 7th, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping around 250 hostages. Israel responded to the worst massacre in its history with massive air strikes and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. There are currently 136 hostages being held in the coastal area. Israel believes that around 25 of them are no longer alive.