Israeli protesters flooded the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa over the weekend to express their frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to secure the release of remaining captives.
Organizers claimed that the Tel Aviv protest attracted 100,000 participants, but police dispersed the crowd forcefully. Confrontations also erupted between Israeli forces and protesters in the capital, resulting in injuries to several anti-Netanyahu demonstrators after a car rammed into the crowd. Subsequently, some protesters were arrested.
Chanting slogans such as “Police, who are you protecting?” and “Ben-Gvir is a terrorist,” the protesters demanded captive releases, Netanyahu’s resignation, and early elections. Banners with messages like “You’ve failed” and “Impeachment now” were also displayed.
These rallies followed the recovery of the body of a 47-year-old captive, Elad Katzir, who appeared alive in a video released in January. Katzir’s sister blamed Israeli officials for his death, asserting that he would have returned alive if a new truce deal had been agreed with Hamas.
Since Hamas’s military operation on October 7, during which over 1,100 people were killed, 253 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive. Following a weeklong truce in late November, Hamas released over 100 captives, but Israel reports that 129 captives are still held in Gaza, with 34 presumed dead. The Israeli army has recovered 12 bodies, including Katzir’s.
Families of the captives participated in the weekend’s rallies, urging the Netanyahu cabinet to prioritize captive retrieval over military or security objectives. One freed female captive demanded that Israeli authorities take responsibility and exert more effort to release other captives held in Gaza.
The protests also highlighted political divisions among Israeli officials. Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the Netanyahu government of inciting violence and ignoring captive families. Transportation Minister Miri Regev’s accusation that protesters wanted to assassinate Netanyahu drew criticism from war cabinet member Benny Gantz.
These protests have become commonplace over the past six months, reflecting public dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the situation in Gaza. However, the escalating violence and political divisions suggest that the government’s approach to Gaza has failed.