Over the weekend, thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for the largest protests Israel has seen since the conflict with Hamas began. These demonstrations pose a significant challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership, with protesters expressing anger over the government's failure to secure the release of all hostages taken captive during a terror attack last October.
While 105 hostages were released during a temporary truce last year, approximately 130 individuals remain either deceased or in captivity by Hamas and other militant groups. Banners at the protests demanded Netanyahu's resignation and called for new elections, with messages such as 'You've failed' and 'Impeachment now' prominently displayed.
Netanyahu has outlined the objectives of the ongoing conflict with Hamas, including the return of hostages, the dismantling of Hamas, and the transformation of Gaza to prevent future attacks like the one that claimed the lives of around 1,200 people last year.
Among the protesters were families of the hostages, who emphasized the importance of prioritizing hostage retrieval over military and security goals. They believe that the Israeli government should focus more on bringing back their loved ones rather than solely pursuing military and security objectives.
