Over 100,000 People In Israel Held A Huge Protest Against Netanyahu’s Plan To Fully Take Over Gaza
The Israeli military has warned that further military expansion could endanger the lives of Israeli hostages, saying “most and possibly all of the living hostages [will] die”, according to the BBC.
More than 100,000 protesters filled the streets of Tel Aviv in Israel on Saturday, Aug. 9, to demonstrate against the Israeli government's plan to fully take control of Gaza.
On Aug. 7, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared on Fox News that he intended to take full control of Gaza, a plan that was approved hours later by his security cabinet.
The plan immediately drew mass backlash from both within and outside Israel.
The UN, several Western countries and humanitarian organizations have all strongly condemned the plan, saying that it would violate international law and worsen the humanitarian crisis already happening in Gaza due to 22 months of Israel's genocide.
The Israeli military, meanwhile, warned that further military expansion could endanger the lives of Israeli hostages, saying “most and possibly all of the living hostages [will] die”, according to the BBC.
The concerns have been echoed by the families of the Israeli hostages and even some members of Netanyahu's own coalition, who have voiced opposition to the plan.
Another about 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 still believed to be alive.
On Saturday, more than 100,000 people in Israel held one of the biggest protests since Israel began its genocide in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023 against the plan, demanding that Netanyahu agree to a ceasefire in order to bring the hostages home.
The families of the hostages slammed the cabinet for approving what could be death sentence for the remaining hostages and vowed to pursue Netanyahu if the hostages, both living and dead, are not returned safely.
"If you invade parts of the Strip and the living hostages are murdered, we will pursue you in the streets, during elections, and everywhere, at all times," Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker said. "We will remind the people of Israel day and night that you could have secured a hostage deal and instead, you chose to condemn them to death."
"Prime Minister, your hands will be stained with the blood of the hostages and our soldiers," she said.
Netanyahu, however, has insisted that Israel will proceed “with or without the support of others,” and thanked US President Donald Trump for his continued backing.
The cabinet has set a deadline of Oct. 7 for the military to complete evacuating hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City before the military pushes into the city, an anonymous Israeli official told the New York Times.
Israel's genocide has killed more than 61,499 Palestinians in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.
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