Families of Hamas hostages and thousands of Israelis marched nationwide on Saturday, demanding the return of loved ones and an immediate end to the offensive that targets civilians in Gaza.
Israel. Protests Across the Country, Thousands in Tel Aviv
Thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday, 9 August, against the government’s plan to seize control of the city of Gaza after 22 months of war with Hamas. Military operations carried out by the Israeli army target the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians are dying of hunger. Al Jazeera reported that more than 30 Palestinians were killed in Gaza by Israel on Saturday. One boy was crushed under a humanitarian aid package dropped by an air transport. Families of people taken hostage by Hamas after the October 7 kibbutz attack participated in the protest in Tel Aviv.
The crimson-colored flag flutters over the government’s decision to sacrifice our loved ones, declared the Forum of Hostage and Missing Families. A woman whose son is held by terrorists told the Times of Israel that “the prime minister’s hands will be stained with blood” if any hostage held by Hamas is killed.
Call to the Israeli Army
Protesting Israelis urged soldiers to refuse participation in a mission whose consequence, they said, would be the death of hostages held by Hamas. “In this situation there is no other choice than to refuse,” said Shai Mozes, nephew of a former Hamas hostage. Prior to 10 p.m., the Times of Israel reported that police opened the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv after pushing protesters out of the way. Water cannons were brought to the scene but were not used, the newspaper Nasz Dziennik reported.
Israel Condemned for Plans to Take Control of Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to take control of the entire Gaza Strip, though his proposed plan concerns only the city of Gaza. The Prime Minister’s office stated that military forces would begin preparations for these operations. Foreign ministers from Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, and Australia condemned the steps. “The plans announced by the Israeli government may violate international humanitarian law,” the ministers wrote in a joint statement.
