Israelis Demonstrate for Detainees, Oppose Netanyahu's Expansion of Gaza War
Throngs of Israeli citizens rally outside the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, demanding the government prioritize the release of captives trapped in ** Gazan territories** instead of intensifying military operations.
The demonstration on the bustling streets of Tel Aviv took place on a Saturday, coinciding with the authorization of the mobilization of up to 60,000 Israeli reserve troops - a clear sign of plans to intensify attacks against the beleaguered Palestinian enclave.
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A fiery placard waved by one of the protesters called out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of deceit. "Our despot is a liar, because of him, the nation burns," the sign read.
Government officials argue that a full-scale attack on Gaza will force Hamas to relinquish the 59 remaining prisoners, but critics believe that such escalation only puts these captives in more danger. Broken ceasefires have failed to secure any further prisoner releases so far.
A Hamas-released video circulating on social media shows one of the Israeli captives, Maxim Herkin. In the 4-minute clip, Herkin is rescued by Hamas members after an Israeli assault struck a tunnel, leaving him buried and injured.
The families of the captives spent the Sabbath in a state of "agonizing worry," as the government's planned military surge could invariably threaten those still held within Gaza's borders.
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The Bring Them Home Coalition, representing the families of the captives, decried the impending offensive as careless.
"Israel marches to bog down in the Gaza mire in the name of the illusion that any victory can be achieved without retrieving our brethren," the group declared on their online platform. "Intensifying the conflict will imperil the lost, the sick, and the living alike."
They implored Netanyahu to abandon the offensive in favor of negotiating a deal that would ensure the captives' safe return. " halt this folly," the group pleaded.
'Protest Efforts Incapable of Challenging Netanyahu's Coalition'
Speaking with Al Jazeera, Israeli journalist Gideon Levy noted the persistence of the protest movement but its limited influence over Netanyahu's coalition. "It's the same relentless protest, brave and dedicated, but not substantial enough to sway Netanyahu," Levy observed.
Levy further commented that a considerable segment of Israeli society remains supportive of the military efforts, even as frustration mounts among captives' family members. "When they are summoned to war, they obey," Levy mused.
Netanyahu, speaking at a public event in Jerusalem, suggested that defeating Hamas remains Israel's primary objective, rather than the captives' release. "We yearn to bring all our hostages home," he asserted. "The war serves a supreme objective, and the supreme objective is attaining victory over our enemies, and this, we shall achieve."
The captives' families have accused Netanyahu of undermining past attempts to establish a truce and prisoner exchange agreement. Some suspect his resistance to compromise stems from political motives aimed at ensuring his far-right coalition's survival, rather than genuine concern for the captives[1][2].
"The 'Bring Them Home Coalition' strongly condemned the impending offensive, claiming it to be reckless and detrimental to the well-being of the captives, implying that the intensification of war against Gaza is nothing more than a political ploy by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the midst of ongoing war-and-conflicts and political climate."
"Amidst the growing tension and public protests against the government's military operations, Israeli journalist Gideon Levy suggested that the movements remain persistent but lack the substantial impact to significantly challenge Netanyahu's political coalition, with a considerable segment of Israeli society remaining supportive of the military efforts despite mounting frustration among captives' family members."
