Chicago – April 20, 2024
Thousands of Israeli activists came to the streets on Saturday to demand new elections and stronger action from the government to return captives held in Gaza in the latest round of anti-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu protests.
The protests have continued as the war in Gaza enters its seventh month, and outrage grows over the government’s handling of the 133 Israeli captives still held by the Islamist outfit Hamas.
According to surveys, the majority of Israelis blame Netanyahu for the security shortcomings that resulted in the devastating Hamas attack on southern Israeli villages on October 7.
Israel’s longest-serving prime minister has consistently rejected early elections, which polls indicate he would lose.
According to Israeli estimates, Hamas-led gunmen apprehended 253 people during the Oct. 7 massacre, which killed around 1,200 people. Some hostages were freed during a November truce, but efforts to reach another agreement appear to have stopped.
Netanyahu has promised to continue the Israeli campaign in Gaza, which local health officials believe has killed over 34,000 Palestinians until all hostages are returned and Hamas is destroyed.
Last week’s onslaught on Israel by waves of Iranian drones and missiles diverted attention away from the fighting in Gaza, and many relatives of the remaining hostages are increasingly concerned that time is running short.
