On Saturday, thousands gathered in Tel Aviv to demand an end to the ongoing war in Gaza. This demonstration followed a declaration from the Israeli government, which pledged to escalate the conflict and seize control of Gaza City.
Protesters brandished signs and displayed images of hostages currently detained in Palestinian territory, urging the government to take action for their release.
At the rally, AFP journalists reported attendance figures in the tens of thousands. In contrast, a group advocating for the families of hostages claimed participation could have reached as high as 100,000 individuals.
Officials refrained from offering a formal estimate regarding the crowd’s size, yet it significantly surpassed other recent anti-war demonstrations.
“We will conclude with a clear message directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: should you proceed with an invasion of Gaza and the hostages are killed, we will hold you accountable in public spaces, during election campaigns, and at every opportunity,” stated Shahar Mor Zahiro, a relative of a deceased hostage, in an interview with AFP.
On Friday, the security cabinet led by Netanyahu approved plans for a significant operation aimed at capturing Gaza City, sparking a surge of criticism both domestically and internationally.
Foreign powers, among them several of Israel’s allies, are advocating for a negotiated ceasefire aimed at ensuring the return of hostages and addressing the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Strip.
In the face of significant backlash and swirling rumours of dissent among senior military officials, Prime Minister Netanyahu has stood firm in his decision.
In a late Friday social media post, Netanyahu stated, “we are not going to occupy Gaza — we are going to free Gaza from Hamas.”
Over the past 22 months of conflict, the premier has encountered consistent protests, with numerous demonstrations urging the government to negotiate a settlement. These rallies highlight the public’s frustration, particularly in light of previous truces that resulted in the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Of the 251 individuals taken hostage during the Hamas attack in 2023, 49 remain in captivity in Gaza, with the military reporting that 27 of them are deceased.
– A recent criminal incident –
The Palestinian Authority (PA) expressed strong condemnation on Saturday regarding Israel’s intentions to broaden its operations in Gaza.
In a statement reported by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, PA President Mahmud Abbas condemned the plan as “a new crime” and emphasised “the urgent need to take action to stop it immediately.”
He underscored the significance of allowing the State of Palestine to take on its complete responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.
During the recent meeting where the Gaza City plan received approval, the security cabinet also endorsed a series of principles aimed at concluding the conflict in Gaza. These principles encompass the establishment of a new administration that would not be affiliated with either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Authority, envisioned as an initial move towards establishing a Palestinian state, manages limited governance over some regions of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, yet lacks any presence in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
On Saturday, the foreign ministers of Italy, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom released a statement expressing their disapproval of the decision to occupy Gaza City.
“This will worsen the already dire humanitarian crisis, jeopardise the lives of hostages, and heighten the likelihood of a large-scale civilian exodus,” they stated.
On Saturday, Russia issued a statement condemning Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City.
A foreign ministry statement warned that implementing such plans “risks worsening the already dramatic situation in the Palestinian enclave, which shows all the signs of a humanitarian disaster.”
According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, Israeli fire resulted in the deaths of at least 37 individuals across the territory on Saturday. Among the deceased, 30 were civilians who were in line to receive aid.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel’s offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 61,000 Palestinians, a figure the United Nations has deemed reliable.
The 2023 assault by Hamas on Israel, which ignited the ongoing conflict, has led to the reported fatalities of 1,219 individuals, as per an AFP count derived from official statistics.
