Thousands rally in Tel Aviv demanding hostage freedom and Netanyahu's resignation
2:51 AM EST, January 21, 2024
Protesters carried banners condemning Netanyahu's government and urging for another round of the country's elections, hoping for positive change.
Collective demand for resignation
Avi Lulu Shamriz, the father of one of the hostages killed in the Gaza Strip, suggested that under the current circumstances, the lives of all hostages are at risk. He added that it's not too late to free them.
69-year-old Israeli citizen Jair Kac voiced criticism of the sitting prime minister, expressing, "Everyone in the country, apart from his toxic coalition, acknowledges that his decisions are not for the well-being of the country and understand that he is simply trying to maintain his power. We all want him to resign."
Boaz Sadeh, a 46-year-old resident of Israel, expressed discontent with how the country is run by criminals who show no interest in its citizens. "They do nothing to liberate the hostages," he added.
On Saturday, nearly 250 demonstrators gathered before the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem. They carried flowers and signs with pictures of the hostages to show solidarity with them and their families.
During a Saturday evening briefing, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari revealed that his soldiers found a tunnel in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. They discovered confirmatory evidence of the hostages' presence in the tunnel, including drawings made by a captive five-year-old child.
Hagari further explained the grave conditions of the hostages. He stated that at various times, nearly twenty hostages were held there, confined under challenging conditions without daylight. They suffered a lack of oxygen and excessive humidity.
Retaliatory operations result in 25,000 Palestinian deaths
The Hamas terrorist organization, which governs the Gaza Strip, led an attack on Israel on October 7 last year, killing about 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians. In the ongoing retaliatory operations by Israel, nearly 25,000 Palestinians have lost their lives. 90% of more than two million residents of the Gaza Strip have been displaced. Half of all structures in the region have been destroyed.
