Tens of thousands of Israeli protesters gathered near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s house in Jerusalem on Saturday evening.
The families of the captives held in Gaza called the premier; they were purposely sacrificing their loved ones just to cling to power. Israel is under intense pressure from both the Israeli people and the international community, who have openly condemned the Netanyahu government's actions as genocidal.
The demonstration was held to protest the Israeli military forces' ongoing offensive in Gaza, where the remaining 48 hostages are believed to be held by Hamas. Apart from the Israeli citizens and rights groups, senior members of the defence forces said that the alleged plan is posing a grave risk to the lives of the captives.
Some opposition members have also said that if the captives are hurt in the operations, it will be the responsibility of the Netanyahu government. Protesters set out from the Chords Bridge, near the entrance to Jerusalem, toward Netanyahu’s residence on Azza Street, holding a banner reading “Government of the shadow of death” and chanting, “Why are they still in Gaza?”
Also Read: UAE warns Israel over West Bank annexation amid rising protests
The aunt of one of the captives, Ora Rubinstein, addressed Netanyahu directly, saying, “We are not anarchists; we are not right-wingers or left-wingers; we are families, and we demand that you return all of them [the hostages] now.”
Meanwhile, protesters threatened Netanyahu with consequences in case anything bad happens to the captives. At the top of the address, Anat Angrest, whose son Matan was taken captive during the October 7 raid by Hamas, said, “The prime minister decided to implement the ‘Hannibal Protocol’ on my Matan, on all the hostages.”
Matan’s father, Einav Zangauker, while addressing the protesters, said, “The Jewish people have had many persecutors throughout history.” “Pharaoh and Haman carried out pogroms against us, but you, Benjamin Netanyahu, you rise above them all,” he said.
Also Read: Gaza death toll hits 64,000 as Israeli strikes flatten homes
Follow us
