FLASH
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The Israelis are running out of patience with the protracted war...
Tens of thousands of Israeli citizens took to the streets on Tuesday, blocking highways, Ben Gurion Airport and main squares, in a protest billed as a "day of explosion" against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Relatives of hostages still held in Gaza led the main march in Tel Aviv, while in Jerusalem hundreds of citizens protested in front of the prime minister's office, just as the security cabinet was discussing plans for the war.
Other protests erupted across the country, from the highway to Haifa to inside the international airport, paralyzing traffic in the country for hours.
Netanyahu under pressure amid plans for Gaza offensive
The Israeli army has been ordered to accelerate preparations for a ground offensive in Gaza City, even as international mediators have been waiting for days for a response from Israel to the ceasefire agreement, already accepted by Hamas.
Netanyahu has ignored warnings that an attack on Gaza City would be catastrophic for Palestinian civilians living in starving conditions and a fatal risk to the approximately 20 hostages believed to still be alive in the territory.
According to the Haaretz newspaper, the cabinet did not make a decision on the offensive, as international outrage erupted over the attack on Nasser Hospital in Gaza, which killed 20 people, including five journalists.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry called on Netanyahu to accept the ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement, stressing that the proposal is in line with demands that Israel itself has made earlier.
"Attempts to delay negotiations by shifting negotiations or other tricks are clear to the international community. It is time for Israel to give a serious response," said spokesman Majed al-Ansari.
Israeli society divided between peace and war
Most Israelis support a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages, mainly out of fear for the lives of relatives and the impact of two years of war on the economy and society.
But polls also show a disturbing trend: nearly 75% of Israeli Jews partially or fully accept the government’s narrative that “there are no innocent civilians in Gaza.” Another poll showed that 78% feel unconcerned by the suffering of Palestinians.
The hostages' families accuse the prime minister of dragging out the war for political interests.
"We could have ended the war a year ago and brought the hostages and soldiers home. But the prime minister chose, again and again, to sacrifice civilians for his power," said Einav Zangauker, the mother of a 25-year-old hostage.
Netanyahu, for his part, defends the idea that only military force can guarantee Israel's security and force Hamas to release the remaining hostages.
"Enough", the voice of civil protest
Faced with a government supported by far-right parties, a part of society is raising its voice against the war.
Ada Gorni, 88, protested in Tel Aviv with her daughter Carmen, who held a sign that read "Enough" in Arabic, English and Hebrew.
“We want to stop the war, return the hostages and end the hunger in Gaza,” Carmen said. “We say it loudly, but I don’t think they are listening,” she added. Adapted from “The Guardian”
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