Israeli Protesters Calls for Netanyahu’s Resignation

Thousands Call for Netanyahu's Resignation Amid Escalating Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Israeli protestors numbering in their thousands have taken to the streets to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, voicing criticisms of his management, or rather mismanagement, of the ongoing conflict on the Gaza Strip. The protests, held on Saturday night, were concentrated around two main locations: the Israeli military’s headquarters in Tel Aviv and Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea.

The demands of the demonstrators consisted primarily of calls for immediate elections and a peaceful settlement with the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement to secure the release of all Israeli captives held in the embattled region. The intensifying rallying cries for change were typified by banners reading, “Elections now,” “A diplomatic agreement,” “The cry of mothers: Get our soldiers out of Gaza now” and the ominous “Israel will not survive if we don’t bring him (Netanyahu) down."

Israel launched what many have deemed a 'genocidal war' on Gaza on October 7, in response to Hamas' Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, which was retaliatory action against the escalating atrocities perpetrated on the Palestinian people. Almost three months into the violent offensive, the Netanyahu-led government has fallen drastically short of its mission to "destroy Hamas" and recover all Israeli hostages.

With more than 21,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, dead and tens of thousands more injured, the toll of this conflict is increasingly immeasurable. The tally of Israeli citizens held captive in Gaza is believed to be about 129, a stark contrast to the reported 7,000 Palestinians held, many without charge, in Israeli prisons. A fleeting respite was offered when a week-long humanitarian ceasefire in late November permitted an exchange of 240 Palestinian abductees held by Israel and 105 hostages in Gaza, inclusive of 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners.

Despite this, the fragile peace was further shattered as renewed airstrikes carried out by Israeli fighter jets on Sunday left a reported 68 Palestinians dead in Gaza City. The target, the Zaitoun neighbourhood, saw 48 of its residents killed and many more injured, with an additional 20 fatalities confirmed in the vicinity of Al Aqsa University, according to the official Wafa news agency.

On the opposing side, the Israeli army confirmed that two Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes with Palestinian resistance fighters in Gaza, bringing the total Israeli soldier death count to 506 since the conflict erupted in October. 

In another development, an unexpected health crisis was revealed by the Israeli newspaper Maariv. Many Israeli soldiers stationed near the Gaza border are suspected to have contracted leishmaniasis, a skin disease caused by the Leishmania parasite, and are presenting with characteristic "ulcerative skin lesions". While some soldiers await results of laboratory tests, others have been transferred to specialized dermatology clinics for treatment.

The escalating conflict, marked by tragic loss of life, creeping public health crises and mounting public dissent, has thrown Netanyahu's leadership into question, with many Israelis demanding immediate change.