Protests in Israel: Tens of thousands demand the end of the war

Large rally in Israel: Tens of thousands of people demonstrated and strike for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip nationwide and for an release of the hostages recorded there. The demonstrators blocked several important traffic axes, while in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv many shops remained closed. Israel’s head of government Benjamin Netanyahu accused them of strengthening the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas with their protest.

In Tel Aviv, rallies continued in the evening. “Bring them all home!”, “Ende War!” Chaniting the crowd. The forum of hostage families, the largest union of relatives, had called on the protest day and strike in solidarity with the hostages captured by the Islamists in the Gaza Strip.

Sunday is the first day of the week in Israel. According to the forum, almost half a million people took part nationwide. The demonstrations followed the announcement of the Israeli security cabinet to expand the use against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Pictures in Israeli media showed how demonstrators set up tires on fire and caused considerable traffic jams. Among other things, the highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem was blocked. The police announced the arrest of more than 30 participants.

According to its own statements, the army wants to take the city of Gaza and the refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip. The families of the hostages fear that the expansion of the mission could lead to the death of their captured relatives.

The Israeli army chief Ejal Samir announced the approval of the “next phase” of the plans for taking the city of Gaza on Sunday. According to media reports, these provide for an evacuation of the residents of the city and subsequent surrounding and conquest.

The army will now “concentrate” its missions on the city of Gaza in order to “decisively” beat the radical Islamic Hamas, it said in a explanation of the army. According to Israeli media reports, tens of thousands of reservists from the Israeli armed forces will be convened for the missions.

Before the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, dozens of demonstrators gathered and asked the Prime Minister to end the war and “bring everyone back”. They held photos of hostages and swiveled Israeli and yellow flags, the symbolic color of the hostages. A huge Israeli flag with portraits of kidnapped people was hung on the so -called “Platz der Geiseln” in Tel Aviv, which has become a symbol since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu condemned the rallies. He accused the demonstrators of “not only strengthening the position of Hamas and delaying the release of our hostages, but also to ensure that the atrocities of October 7 (2023) repeat themselves”.

The Hamas and her allies had triggered the war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023 with their major attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. According to Israeli information, more than 1200 people were killed in the attack, 251 people were delayed as hostages in the Gaza Strip. Hamas still keeps 49 hostages in its violence. However, according to the Israeli army, only 22 of them are still alive.

“We are calling for a comprehensive and implementable agreement and an end to the war. We demand what we are entitled to: our children,” said Einav Tzangauker, the mother of the hostage of Matan and spokeswoman for many relatives. “The Israeli government has never proposed a real initiative for a comprehensive agreement and the end of the war. They have transformed the fairest war into a senseless war.”

Israel has been massively militarily in the Gaza Strip since the major Hamas attack. According to the Hamas authorities, more than 61,900 people have so far been killed. The information cannot be checked independently, but are classified as realistic by the UN.