By Shahrokh Saei
TEHRAN- Israelis have become increasingly frustrated over their army’s failure to deliver on its promised goals in the nearly one-year war against the Gaza Strip.
Demonstrations demanding a captive deal have regularly taken place across Israel since early October.
The latest protests were held at the weekend attended by tens of thousands of people.
On Saturday, protesters gathered in Tel Aviv to express their frustration towards Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his ineffective military approach in Gaza.
Similar rallies were held in Jerusalem (al-Quds) and other cities.
Protesters demanded that Netanyahu reach a deal with Hamas to ensure the return of captives held in Gaza.
Approximately 100 captives are being held in Gaza which includes the bodies of nearly three dozen who have been confirmed dead.
They are among some 250 people who were taken captive during the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation, a surprise military operation carried out by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7.
More than 100 captives were released in a swap deal with Hamas in November last year. A number of other captives have been freed by the Israeli army during raids in Gaza and the rest have perished as a result of the regime’s strikes.
Netanyahu stands accused of undermining initiatives intended to secure a ceasefire with Hamas which can facilitate the release of the remaining captives.
Families of the captives were among those who participated in the Saturday rallies.
They lashed out at Netanyahu for not reaching a deal with Hamas, arguing that this inaction will help him remain in power as long as the war continues.
“This deal-sabotaging government is forsaking the captives and abandoning them to die,” the brother of Yotam Cohen, an Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza, told the Associated Press.
Cohen added, “As long as Netanyahu is in power, this war will go on indefinitely and there will be no hostage deal. To save the hostages lives, Netanyahu must be replaced.”
Skirmishes broke out between police and protesters who were chanting against Netanyahu. Reports suggest police have made some arrests.
Street protests in Israel surged following the recovery of the bodies of six captives from a tunnel in southern Gaza. The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement announced that they were killed by Israeli strikes.
A week ago, an estimated 750,000 people took to the streets in Israel. Organizers said 500,000 Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv, marking the largest-ever demonstration in the regime’s history. Some 250,000 others attended rallies in cities including Jerusalem (al-Quds) and Haifa.
Protesters have called for Netanyahu’s resignation and early elections.
But Netanyahu has maintained that he will press ahead with the war until achieving “total victory” over Hamas and “destroying” the resistance group.
Israelis participating in the weekly protests have become aware of Netanyahu's tactics, recognizing that he is willing to sacrifice captives for his political interests.
The Israeli army has slaughtered more than 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza since launching war on the territory following the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation.
But the lives of the Palestinians neither matter to Israeli protesters nor the regime’s officials and their Western allies.
Israeli demonstrators just want to ensure the remaining captives will be released. Netanyahu’s domestic political opponents as well as the US and some European countries are only concerned that the growing domestic protests and international outrage over Israel’s genocidal war will threaten the regime’s existence.
Should the need arise, Israel’s main allies, particularly the United States, will make Netanyahu a scapegoat to ensure the regime’s survival.
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