By MELANIE LINDMAN, WAFAA SHURAFA, and SAMY MAGDY (Associated Press)
JERUSALEM (AP) — Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in central Jerusalem on Sunday for the biggest anti-government protest since October. went to war They called on the government to make a cease-fire deal to release dozens of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and to have early elections.
Israeli society was mostly united right after Oct. 7, when Hamas killed about 1,200 people in a cross-border attack and took 250 others hostage. After almost six months of conflict, divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership have reemerged, although the country still mostly supports the war. The United States, Canada, and the European Union have all labeled Hamas as a terrorist organization.Netanyahu has promised to eliminate Hamas and bring all the hostages home, but these goals have been hard to achieve. While Hamas has suffered heavy losses, it is still operational.
About half of the hostages in Gaza were freed during a weeklong cease-fire in November. However, efforts by international mediators to bring back the remaining hostages have not succeeded. Negotiations resumed on Sunday with no indication of an imminent breakthrough.
The families of the hostages think time is running out, and they are expressing more dissatisfaction with Netanyahu.
Boaz Atzili, whose cousin Aviv Atzili and his wife Liat were kidnapped on Oct. 7, believes that no hostages will return with the current government. Liat was released, but Aviv was killed, and his body is in Gaza. Boaz Atzili said, “Netanyahu is only working in his private interests.”
PROTESTERS HAVE MANY GRIEVANCES
Protesters hold Netanyahu responsible for the failures of Oct. 7 and believe that the political divisions over his attempted legal reforms last year left Israel vulnerable before the attack. Some say he has harmed relations with the United States, Israel’s most crucial ally.
Netanyahu is also dealing with a series of corruption charges that are slowly moving through the courts. Critics argue that his decisions seem to be guided by political survival rather than the national interest. Opinion polls indicate that Netanyahu and his coalition are significantly behind their rivals if elections were held today.
Unless his governing coalition falls apart, Netanyahu will not face elections until the spring of 2026.
Many families of the hostages refrained from publicly criticizing Netanyahu to avoid upsetting the leadership and politicizing the hostages’ situation. However, as their frustration grows, some now want to change course and played a major role in Sunday’s anti-government protest.
Thousands of people gathered around the Knesset, or parliament building, on Sunday, and the organizers promised to continue the protest for several days. They called on the government to hold new elections nearly two years earlier than planned. There were also large demonstrations in Tel Aviv on Sunday, following a significant protest the night before.
Netanyahu, speaking on TV before
having hernia surgery later on Sunday, acknowledged the pain of families. However, he argued that holding new elections at this crucial moment before potential victory would immobilize Israel for six to eight months and disrupt the hostage negotiations. Currently, Netanyahu's ruling coalition seems to be staying strong. Some families of the hostages also believe that this is not the right time for elections.
Sheli Shem Tov, whose son Omer was abducted from a music festival, expressed her opinion on Israel's Channel 12, stating, “I don't think that replacing the prime minister at this time will help bring my son back. Holding elections now will only sideline the most urgent issue, which is the return of the hostages.”
During his Sunday speech, Netanyahu also reiterated his commitment to a
potential ground military operation in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where over half of the territory's 2.3 million residents are currently seeking shelter after fleeing conflict in other areas. He emphasized, “There is no victory without going into Rafah,” and declared that U.S. pressure would not sway him. Israel's military reports that Hamas forces are still present there.Highlighting Israel's divisions, a gathering of reservists and retired officers staged a demonstration in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood.
For many generations, ultra-Orthodox men have been exempt from compulsory military service, which applies to the majority of Jewish individuals. Tensions over this issue have escalated during the war. Netanyahu's administration has been instructed to present a new proposal
for a fairer conscription law by Monday. Netanyahu, who heavily relies on the support of ultra-Orthodox parties, requested an extension last week. The Bank of Israel warned in its annual report on Sunday that there could be economic repercussions if a large number of ultra-Orthodox men continue to avoid military service.
ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE HITS TENT CAMP AT HOSPITAL
On Sunday, an Israeli airstrike targeted a temporary camp in the courtyard of a crowded hospital in central Gaza, resulting in the deaths of two Palestinians and injuries to 15 others, including nearby journalists.
An Associated Press correspondent captured the strike and its aftermath at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, where thousands of people have taken shelter. The Israeli military stated that it hit a command center of the Islamic Jihad militant group.
Many people have sought refuge in Gaza's hospitals, believing them to be relatively safe from airstrikes. Israel accuses Hamas and other militants of operating in and around medical facilities, while Gaza's health authorities deny these claims.
Israeli troops
have been conducting operations in Shifa Hospital,
Gaza's largest, for nearly two weeks and claim to have eliminated numerous fighters, including high-ranking Hamas members. Gaza's Health Ministry reported that over 100 patients still lack clean water and have untreated wounds, while doctors are using makeshift gloves made of plastic bags. Close to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, a group of members from Gaza's small Palestinian Christian community gathered at the Holy Family Church to celebrate Easter, with the scent of incense filling the rarely affected building."We are here feeling very sad," said attendee Winnie Tarazi. Around 600 people are seeking shelter in the compound.
The number of deaths in Gaza is approaching 33,000 and there is an increasing shortage of food.
The United Nations and its partners are cautioning that
there could be a severe shortage of food
in the heavily damaged and mostly isolated northern Gaza. Humanitarian officials say deliveries by sea and air are not sufficient, and that Israel must allow a much greater amount of aid to be delivered by road. Egypt has stated that thousands of trucks are waiting. Israel claims that it does not impose any restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid. It has accused the U.N. and other international agencies of failing to distribute more aid. Gaza’s Health Ministry
reported on Sunday that at least 32,782 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war. The ministry's count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but has indicated that women and children make up about two-thirds of those killed.
Israel claims that more than one-third of the deceased are combatants, although it has not presented evidence, and it holds Hamas responsible for civilian casualties because the group operates in residential areas. Amid concerns about a broader conflict in the region, Lebanese state media stated that an Israeli drone targeted a car in the southern Lebanese town of Konin.
A Lebanese security official informed The Associated Press that Hezbollah militant Ismail al-Zain was killed, speaking anonymously in accordance with regulations. Israel’s military referred to al-Zain as a "significant commander." Hezbollah confirmed the death.
Late on Sunday, a Palestinian assailant stabbed three people in southern Israel, causing serious injuries, according to the Hatzalah rescue service. Police stated that the assailant was shot, but provided no further details about his condition.
For more of AP’s war coverage, visit
https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Tens of thousands of Israelis have gathered outside the parliament building in Jerusalem in the largest anti-government demonstration since the country entered into war in October. https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
