Tel Aviv: Massive protests erupted across Israel once again as citizens voiced their outrage over the government’s failure to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. At the same time, hospital officials in Gaza reported that Israeli airstrikes killed more than a dozen people overnight into Saturday.
The latest demonstration comes a week after one of the largest protests of the ongoing conflict, following the discovery of six more dead hostages in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under growing international pressure for a cease-fire, remains defiant, stating, “No one will preach to me.”
Efrat Machikawa, a Tel Aviv protester and niece of hostage Gadi Moses, expressed the urgency of the situation: “I think even those who were maybe reluctant to go out, who are not used to protest, who are sad but prefer to be in private space within their sadness, understood our voice must join together to one huge scream: Bring the hostages with a deal. Do not risk their lives.”
Despite calls from allies like the United States to halt the fighting, Netanyahu has stood firm, particularly regarding Israeli control of the Philadelphi corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt. Israel accuses Hamas of using the area to smuggle weapons, a claim both Egypt and Hamas deny.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s healthcare workers completed the second phase of an urgent polio vaccination drive, aiming to prevent a widespread outbreak. With 640,000 children targeted, the third phase will soon begin in northern Gaza, even as the war has left the healthcare system in tatters.
Israeli airstrikes continued across Gaza, with Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat reporting nine casualties in two separate air raids. Four people died when a residential building was struck, while five others perished in an attack on a house in western Nuseirat. In nearby Bureij, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirmed that a mother and her two children were killed in a separate airstrike.
Northern Gaza was also hit, as a school-turned-shelter in Jabaliya was targeted, resulting in at least four deaths and dozens of injuries. Israel’s military claimed the strike was aimed at a Hamas command post embedded within the school.
The conflict began on October 7 when Hamas and other militant groups launched an assault on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israeli authorities estimate that around a third of the hostages taken by Hamas have been killed, though over 100 remain captive.
In retaliation, Israel has launched a sustained offensive on Gaza, which the Gaza Health Ministry reports has killed over 40,000 Palestinians. The ministry’s tally does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, and reports indicate over 94,000 people have been wounded.
The violence has extended to the West Bank, where an Israeli military operation in Jenin has left dozens dead. The situation worsened after an American protester was killed by Israeli troops. Her family has called on President Joe Biden to demand an independent investigation, arguing that “an Israeli investigation is not adequate.” The woman, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a dual U.S.-Turkish citizen, was fatally shot in the head during a protest against Israeli settlements. Witnesses stated that the shooting occurred during a lull in the earlier clashes.
The White House expressed deep concern, urging Israel to investigate the incident. Israel’s military confirmed it is looking into the report that its troops fired on a “violent instigator.”
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Tensions in the West Bank have been high, with over 690 Palestinians killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The region has seen frequent clashes between Israeli settlers, Palestinian militants, and Israeli forces.
Negotiations for a cease-fire remain stalled, with Hamas accusing Israel of introducing new demands. Hamas has offered to release all hostages in exchange for an end to the conflict, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the release of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants. These terms align with a proposal by President Biden from July.
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On the Lebanon border, fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah continues almost daily. A recent Israeli drone strike hit a Lebanese Civil Defense team, killing three volunteers and injuring two others. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that the volunteers were responding to a fire caused by an earlier Israeli strike. Israel’s military has not commented on the incident.
In response, Hezbollah launched 45 rockets into northern Israel, targeting areas near Mount Meron. Most fell in unpopulated zones, though several hit Shlomi and the outskirts of Safed. No injuries were reported. Israel later struck Hezbollah military infrastructure and a rocket launcher in southern Lebanon.
