Thousands of protesters marched in Tel Aviv and other major cities Saturday night, demanding the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calling for early elections to be held. For weeks, Israelis have expressed growing frustration with Netanyahu’s handling of the war and his failure to bring home hostages being held in Gaza. A protester was arrested for punching and injuring a police officer during an anti-government rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, Israeli police said in a statement. Authorities also urged demonstrators not to spark bonfires, as crowds swell to massive sizes.
Quick Read:
- Marking six months of the war: Israeli President Isaac Herzog made a social media post Saturday marking six months since the October 7 attacks by Hamas in Israel, which left about 1,200 people dead and more than 200 taken hostage. “Half a year our sisters and brothers have been held by a cruel enemy,” Herzog wrote in the post on X. Since the attack, Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed at least 32,916 people, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, and has led to a spiraling humanitarian crisis in which many more are at risk of starving.
- Analyzing Israel’s exit strategy: After half a year of war, the patience of Israel’s allies is running out. As the death toll in the enclave continues to climb, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Israel has no viable plan for how to end the war — or what comes next. The determination to continue pursuing Hamas in Gaza despite the horrific humanitarian consequences is leaving Israel increasingly isolated on the global stage, with its government facing pressure from all sides.
- Israeli strike on Iran’s embassy: The US is on high alert and actively preparing for a “significant” attack by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the Middle East, a senior administration official said. The attack is expected in response to an Israeli strike Monday in Damascus, which killed top Iranian commanders. Speaking from a funeral procession Saturday for one of the slain military officers, Iran’s highest-ranking commander vowed the strike will not go unanswered. The situation underlines the danger of a wider Middle Eastern war spreading from the conflict in Gaza, as Israel engages in escalating clashes with Tehran and its proxy groups.
- Hostage developments: The family of Israeli hostage Elad Katzir, who the Israeli military says was likely killed in January, was rescued overnight from Khan Younis and returned to his family in Israel, according to the Israeli military. His sister said that Katzir might still be alive today if a ceasefire-hostage deal had been struck.
The Associated Press has the story:
Thousands of protesters march in Tel Aviv as war in Gaza reaches 6 months
Newslooks- Tel Aviv- (AP)
Protesters once again took to the streets of Tel Aviv, Caesarea and Haifa on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and early elections.
Demonstrators also called for the release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza ahead of the six-month mark of hostilities. Many people waved Israeli flags and held up signs with images of hostages, calling on the government to bring them home alive.
In Tel Aviv, protesters were heard chanting:
“We are not afraid; you destroyed the country, and we will fix it. We want them (hostages) back alive and not in coffins.”
Other protesters on the ground holding flags and banners, with one reading, “The government that destroyed the country and tore the nation apart.”
Another banner called for the “division of religion and state,” and one stated that “Netanyahu is dangerous to Israel.”
Protesters in Haifa called the government a failure, saying Netanyahu is “guilty, guilty, guilty.”
“Elections now!” read one banner held by a protester.
Israeli officer punched during anti-government protests, police say
A protester was arrested for punching and injuring a police officer during an anti-government rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, Israeli police said in a statement.
The Israel Police also warned protesters not to light bonfires as demonstrators march through the streets, saying it can be “life-threatening” around the crowd.
“We will act with zero tolerance towards those who disrupt the order and behave violently towards police officers,” authorities said in a statement.
Thousands of protesters are marching in Tel Aviv and other major cities tonight, demanding the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calling for early elections to be held. For weeks, Israelis have expressed growing frustration with Netanyahu’s handling of the war and his failure to bring home hostages being held in Gaza.
Israeli hostage Elad Katzir may have been saved if a deal had happened earlier in the year, his sister says
The family of Israeli hostage Elad Katzir, who the Israeli military says was likely killed in January, said he might be alive today if a ceasefire-hostages deal had been struck.
Katzir’s body was rescued overnight from Khan Younis and returned to his family in Israel following identification procedures, according to an earlier joint statement by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA).
He “could have been saved if a deal had happened in time,” Carmit Katzir, his sister, said at a small rally held in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
Katzir’s body was rescued overnight from Khan Younis and returned to his family in Israel following identification procedures, according to an earlier joint statement by the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Security Agency. He was abducted from kibbutz Nir Oz by Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants on October 7. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Katzir was likely killed in January, according to Israeli intelligence.
“Our leadership is cowardly and driven by political considerations and that is why it did not happen. He might be recognized as a casualty of hostilities, but the exact term is casualty of acts of neglect,” his sister said.
She made similar comments earlier Saturday on Facebook as well.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Saturday that Katzir was likely killed in January, citing Israeli intelligence.
“Katzir was murdered by his captors,” Hagari said when he was asked whether Katzir was murdered and not shot by Israeli forces by mistake, adding that “we know this from a very credible piece of intelligence.”
Hagari said.
