Marking nine months since the war in Gaza started, Israeli protesters yesterday blocked highways across the country, calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down and pushing for a ceasefire that could bring back hostages held by Hamas.
The demonstrations come as international mediators have renewed efforts to broker a deal, with Hamas over the weekend appearing to have dropped a key demand for an Israeli commitment to end the war, Egyptian and Hamas officials told The Associated Press.
The move could result in the first pause in fighting since November.
Photo: AP
The war, triggered by Hamas launching a cross-border attack on Oct. 7 last year, saw 1,200 people killed and 250 others taken hostage. A retaliatory Israeli air and ground offensive has killed more than 38,000 people, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry has said.
Yesterday’s “Day of Disruption” started at 6:29am, the moment that Hamas militants launched the first rockets toward Israel in October. Protesters blocked main roads and demonstrated outside the homes of members of Israel’s parliament.
Near the border with Gaza, Israeli protestors released 1,500 black and yellow balloons to symbolize those who were killed and abducted.
Hannah Golan said she came to protest the “devastating abandonment of our communities by our government.”
“It’s nine months today, to this black day, and still nobody in our government takes responsibility,” she said.
About 120 hostages remain captive after more than 100 were released as part of a November ceasefire deal. Israel has already concluded that more than 40 of the remaining hostages are dead.
Meanwhile, fighting in Gaza continued, with nine Palestinians killed by Israeli strikes overnight and into the early hours yesterday.
Six Palestinians were killed in central Gaza after a strike hit a house in the town of Zawaida, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said.
Another airstrike hit a house west of Gaza City, killing three people, the Gaza Strip’s Hamas-linked civil defense said.
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched about 20 projectiles toward Israel in the north.
A 28-year-old Israeli man was seriously wounded.
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