Hostage frustration in Israel

Thousands against Netanyahu: “It’s your fault!”

Some of the protesters were pushed back by force.(Bild: AFP)

Thousands of people demonstrated in several Israeli cities on Saturday evening for the release of hostages held by Hamas and against the government. The anger was directed at one man in particular: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"I call on the most failed government in the history of (Israel): Resign!" shouted a reserve officer, who was wounded in the Gaza war, in his speech at the largest rally in the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv.

"It's your fault!"
Participants in the protest in Tel Aviv carried banners with the slogan "You are the leader! It's your fault!". A growing number of critics accuse the head of government of misgoverning the country before and after the terrorist attack by Islamist Hamas and other extremist groups on southern Israel on October 7. Critics accuse him of subordinating all important decisions to his own political advantage.

In Tel Aviv, a group of government opponents attempted to block a highway. The police used water cannons to disperse the demonstrators, according to media reports. Further demonstrations took place on Saturday in Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba and in Caesarea in front of one of Netanyahu's private villas.

Fate of many hostages uncertain
The fate of more than 130 remaining hostages taken by the terrorists in the Gaza Strip is a matter of deep concern to Israeli society. According to Israeli estimates, around 100 of them are still alive. Indirect negotiations are currently underway with the Islamist Hamas to secure their release in return for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. 105 of the more than 250 people originally abducted were released in November during a ceasefire in the Gaza war.