Tens of thousands of people in Israel gathered to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They came together in Tel Aviv, at a place now called “Democracy Square”. This renaming happened after big protests last year against some changes in the justice system.
Dozens of protesters broke through all the security circles and reached the entrance to Prime Minister #Netanyahu's house. #Israel pic.twitter.com/LszlWDIGuy
— Arthur Morgan (@ArthurM40330824) April 2, 2024
The protesters, estimated at about 100,000, shouted “elections now” and demanded Netanyahu’s resignation. The protest coincided with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which has been happening for six months.
Similar protests were held in different cities across Israel. Yair Lapid, the opposition leader, joined one of these protests in Kfar Saba before heading to Washington for talks. He criticized the government, saying they hadn’t learned from their mistakes and until they are removed from power, the country won’t progress.
Reports from Israeli media suggested clashes between protesters and the police in Tel Aviv. One protester was reportedly arrested by the police. Later, families of hostages from Gaza and their supporters joined the Tel Aviv protest.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that they had found the body of one of the hostages taken by Palestinian militants in an attack on October 7th. The hostage, Elad Katzir, was later killed while in captivity in Gaza. This brings the total number of recovered bodies to 12 during the ongoing conflict.
The Hamas attack on October 7th resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people in southern Israel, most of whom were civilians, according to Israeli sources. In retaliation, Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza has reportedly killed at least 33,137 people, predominantly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
During the October attack, around 250 Israelis and foreigners were taken as hostages by militants. The Israeli army says that 129 hostages are still being held in Gaza, with 34 presumed dead.
The protesters plan to continue their demonstrations, with another rally scheduled for Sunday in Jerusalem. This ongoing public dissent reflects the growing frustration among Israelis towards the government’s handling of the Gaza conflict and other domestic issues.
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