The protests erupted spontaneously earlier in the day following the announcement that the Israeli army had recovered the bodies of six captives from Gaza. This news incited significant outrage because Israeli military assessments indicated that the captives had been alive just days earlier and were supposed to be included in the initial phase of a release deal, which had not yet materialized.
The public’s frustration quickly manifested in street demonstrations. In response, police employed force, marking a first in these protests by using stun grenades and forcibly removing the protesters.
Mass Protests in Israel unlike any before
Ori Goldberg, a political commentator, notes that the current anti-government protests in Israel differ significantly from previous demonstrations throughout the conflict. Goldberg explained to Al Jazeera that the earlier protests, which were in support of the hostages, were seen as politically motivated, akin to the protests against Netanyahu that occurred before the war began.
However, in the last 24 hours, this perception has changed. Goldberg points out that Israel’s dual objectives in the war—returning the captives and defeating Hamas—now seem out of sync with public opinion. The public has come to believe that the deaths of the six captives could have been prevented and views the Israeli military’s actions as ineffective. Goldberg adds that there is a growing sense that the military pressure, which the prime minister had been proud of, is not only failing to secure the return of the hostages but is contributing to their deaths.
Around 280,000 Protesters Rally in Tel Aviv Following Captives’ Deaths
Demonstrators ignited flares on a road they had blocked in Tel Aviv, urging Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to take stronger action to secure the return of the remaining captives in Gaza.
Following the recovery of six captives’ bodies from a Gaza tunnel on Saturday, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in protest.
Hamas says the Israeli Government Chose Occupation Over Captives
The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released a video statement accusing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of prioritizing military operations in the Philadelphi Corridor, which separates Egypt from the Gaza Strip, over the safe return of Israeli captives.
This statement followed the Israeli army’s announcement that it had recovered the bodies of six captives from the southern Gaza Strip. In the video, the Qassam Brigades questioned the Israeli military’s actions: “What kind of heroism is this? You are retrieving them as corpses after deliberately killing them? They were alive and were supposed to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire deal.”