Thousands protesting against Netanyahu across Israel, blaming him for the October 7 attack

People take part in a protest rally against the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Habima square in Tel Aviv, Israel, 03 February 2023.EFE/EPA/ABIR SULTAN

 Thousands of people gathered Saturday night in the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beer Sheva, among others, to demand the end of Netanyahu’s mandate and the return of the 136 hostages who remain in the Gaza Strip after 120 days of war.

In Tel Aviv, in Hostages Square, relatives of those still held in Gaza and demonstrators called for the dissolution of the government, general elections and the immediate return of the hostages held in Gaza.

The rally was held under the banner of “120 days underground,” a reference to the days since the Oct. 7 attack and the Hamas tunnels in the Palestinian enclave where the prisoners are believed to still be held. 

The Oct. 7 assault by the armed wing of Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,139 people – mostly civilians – and the abduction of 240 others, according to the latest figures released by Israeli authorities.

Of the 136 people estimated to be still in the hands of Hamas after the brutal assault, at least 27 are suspected to have died, some as a result of Israeli fire during the massive offensive on the Strip. 

Both in Tel Aviv and in simultaneous protests in other cities, demonstrators also demanded the resignation of Netanyahu, whom they accuse of mismanagement and blame for the Oct. 7 attack that caught Israel by surprise with deadly consequences.

In the southern city of Beer Sheva, about 40 kilometers (24 miles) from Gaza, around 400 demonstrators called for “early elections” and a change of government, the Israeli publication Haaretz reported.

People take part in a protest rally against the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel, 03 February 2023. EFE/EPA/ABIR SULTAN

“We deserve a leadership with broad and united support that will give hope and begin the healing process that this people and this country so desperately need,” demanded Moshe Radman Abutbul, one of the most prominent leaders at the forefront of protests against judicial reform in recent months.

Israel and Hamas have been negotiating for days for a ceasefire that would include the release of all hostages, but so far there appears to be no agreement on the duration of the truce and the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released for each hostage, despite mediation by Qatar, the United States and Egypt.

At least 27,238 Gazans have been killed in nearly four months, most of them women and children, in addition to an estimated 8,000 bodies still buried under the rubble. 

The total number of wounded is 66,452, according to figures released Saturday by the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave.

(EFE)