Large Demonstrations in Israel Demand Hostage Release and Netanyahu’s Resignation

Thousands of Israeli citizens flooded the streets of cities on Saturday, demanding a deal for the release of Israeli hostages captured by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, the claim was not limited to just the release of captives; it also reached into the heart of political power, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the calling of early elections. In Tel Aviv, the epicenter of the protests, the situation escalated when torch-wielding demonstrators tried to breach a police barricade on Kaplan Street, resulting in the arrest of 18 people. The police force reported that protesters blocked roads in unauthorized areas and confronted authorities when asked to disperse. At a rally in front of the Kirya military barracks in Tel Aviv, former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon lashed out at Netanyahu, blaming him directly for the current crisis. Ya’alon blamed the prime minister for the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed some 1,200 people and held 240 hostage, including Argentine citizens. Lieutenant Or Scheinberg, who was seriously wounded during the fighting, called for unity between Jews and Arabs, left and right, for fundamental political change. “This is our chance to renew the contract we had. We, Jews and Arabs, the right and the left, are going to do it together. I call on the most failed government in our history: Leave,” Scheinberg said.The protests also encompassed other demands, such as the repeal of the law exempting ultra-Orthodox students from military service, underscoring the complexity of internal tensions in Israeli society.

Original source in Spanish