Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself grappling with mounting domestic unrest as mass protests erupt in Tel Aviv, with demonstrators demanding fresh elections.
The protests, driven by growing dissatisfaction with Netanyahu’s leadership, gained momentum following the October 7 attacks by Hamas, leading to a decline in the anti-government demonstrations that had already been ongoing throughout 2023.
However, the prolonged conflict has fuelled renewed public anger, exacerbating the calls for change.
The initial wave of protests in 2023 centred around opposition to controversial judicial reforms, but the current surge is further intensified by concerns over the fate of dozens of hostages taken by Hamas fighters on October 7 and held in Gaza.
The toll of the conflict has been devastating, with over 1,200 people killed in Israel due to the October 7 attacks.
In Gaza, the health ministry reported more than 28,800 casualties, highlighting the grim human cost of the ongoing hostilities.
Netanyahu remains resolute in his commitment to the offensive, vowing to achieve “total victory” over Hamas.
He has announced plans to expand military operations to Gaza’s southernmost town of Rafah, where a significant portion of the enclave’s 2.3 million Palestinian population seeks refuge from the violence elsewhere.
Amid the escalating crisis, the head of the World Health Organisation expressed grave concerns about the state of Nasser Hospital, the primary medical facility serving southern Gaza. The hospital is now deemed non-functional after Israeli forces raided it in the southern city of Khan Younis last week.
Reports from the conflict zones detail the human toll, with an overnight airstrike in Rafah claiming six lives, including a woman and three children. Another strike in Khan Younis killed five men, the main target of the offensive over the past two months.
The Israeli military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, often attributes civilian casualties to Hamas, citing the group’s operations in densely populated residential areas.
