Thousands Of People In Israel Are Protesting The Government’s War In Gaza And Failure To Rescue Hostages
Protesters say that Netanyahu’s government has not taken sufficient measures to ensure the hostages are released and are calling for new elections.
Israel is witnessing a wave of mass protests, with thousands of people protesting against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and its war in Gaza, while also calling for a new election.
A protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday Jan. 20 saw thousands of people taking to the streets to demand Netanyahu’s resignation.
The number of protesters was far beyond that of previous weeks when a few dozen to a few hundred people gathered to demand the government do more to bring back the hostages taken on Oct. 7.
Protesters say that Netanyahu’s government has not taken sufficient measures to ensure the hostages are released.
Protesters yelled “Bushah, bushah, bushah,” which translates to “shame, shame, shame” in condemnation of the government.
“We are here because we think our government abandoned us, and we don’t trust our government to find a solution for that and bring back the hostages,” an Israeli woman told Andalou Agency.
Despite the release of about 100 hostages during a week-long pause in fighting in November, almost 130 people still remain held in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s government has repeatedly dismissed condemnations and calls from international organizations and human rights groups for a permanent ceasefire, despite the staggering death toll of more than 25,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel is also currently facing a case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after South Africa sued it for committing genocide in Gaza.
However, Israel has denied this and said that it is defending itself against Hamas, with Netanyahu vowing to continue fighting in Gaza until total victory.
