Israelis begin nine-month anniversary of Gaza war with ‘day of disruption’

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On Sunday, exactly nine months after the start of the Gaza war, Israelis began protests in front of politicians’ homes, marking a “day of unrest.”

Crowds gathered in front of the homes of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Government Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, among others, demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the return of Israeli hostages held in the enclave.

Protests are also expected in front of the army headquarters in Tel Aviv. Demonstrators blocked roads across the country on Sunday morning.

Videos showed protesters chanting outside Mr Ohana’s house, carrying placards with the names of hostages still held in Gaza and signs reading “The right-wing government has blood on its hands.”

The action is part of a “week of resistance” organized by Israeli activists who gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest against the government and push for an agreement with Hamas to end the war.

Others gathered outside the home of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and said the minister “must not look away until the end of the war.”

Approval ratings for the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reached a new low.

“We know that after many efforts an agreement is now taking shape, and we can already hear ministers making threats and wishes that the agreement will fail,” Yehuda Cohen, the father of hostage Nimron Cohen, told Haaretz, at a demonstration in Kiryat Ono.

Protesters are also expected to march from Jerusalem’s Sacher Park to Mr Netanyahu’s private residence in the city.

Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that he will not agree to a ceasefire until Israel achieves its “war aims,” ​​namely the destruction of Hamas, which launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people. More than 38,000 Palestinians were killed in Israel’s retaliatory attack on Gaza.

Months of talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt have so far failed to produce an agreement. The talks are expected to resume this week.

Updated: July 7, 2024, 07:04