Demonstrations against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continue unabated. Yesterday again thousands of people gathered in front of the parliament in Jerusalem demanding new elections. The majority of the world no longer believes that the issue of the release of the hostages can be solved militarily and that is why they are calling for elections. “Netanyahu keeps saying he’s going to solve the hostage problem, but he’s not doing anything,” a protester points out.

Israeli media are calling it the largest anti-Netanyahu demonstration since the Islamist group Hamas kidnapped the Israeli hostages. Opposition leader Yair Lapid strongly criticized the Israeli prime minister, saying he was destroying Israel’s relations with the US and leaving the Hamas hostages to their own devices. “As he typically said: “everything for politics, nothing for the country”.

Netanyahu is unmoved

On the other hand, Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the request for elections considering that his country is a moment before victory and such a thing would paralyze the country even for eight months. Furthermore, in a press conference he stated that the Israeli forces will invade Rafah and destroy “all the ranks of Hamas for one reason only: without this movement there is no victory. The destruction of Hamas is a key goal of this war, including the return of the hostages,” he said.

The protesters, however, seem determined to continue their protests. Opponents of the government have set up a protest camp with about a hundred tents which protesters say is set to grow even larger in the coming days. The makeshift camp is attended by various Israeli groups, including parts of the protest movement that organized mass demonstrations against judicial reforms last year.

The talks between the two sides are deadlocked

Finally, let us mention that the talks between Hamas and Israel seem to be at an impasse, while an Israeli delegation is going to Cairo today for new talks. At the same time, the Israeli army withdrew heavy armored vehicles from Al Shifa hospital in Gaza. According to hospital doctors who spoke to Agence France-Presse, the damage is enormous while the bodies of twenty people are found in the courtyard. The Israeli army launched a major operation on March 18 against the hospital, suspecting that dozens of Hamas terrorists were hiding there.

Maria Rigoutsou