Tens of thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday in several cities of the country against the government of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, whom they ask to resign and reach an agreement on the release of hostages from the Gaza Strip.

Demonstrations in cities such as Tel Aviv, Haifa, Caesarea or Jerusalempreceded by a week of protests with violent clashes, injuries to citizens and the use of water cannons by law enforcement.

At the renamed Democracy Square in Tel Aviv, which is also the scene of mass protests against judicial reform, Protesters listened to relatives of hostages in front of the Ministry of Defense building, at the Kirya military base.

Yifat Calderon, cousin of 53-year-old hostage Ofer Calderon, questioned how it was possible that the Israeli government believed it was plausible to announce a military defeat of Hamas in the coming weeks: if the hostages are still in captivity.

“How can they claim victory when they (Hamas) still have the hostages?”According to local media, Calderon asked himself the question.

Dani Elgarat, brother of the captive Itzik Elgarat, after the march in Tel Aviv accused Netanyahu of putting his political survival first and personal gain for the lives of 116 hostages.

“You decide to sacrifice the lives of our loved ones for the sake of your political survival. Soon you will know us all, because we will all become families mourning hostages.”Elgarath said, the newspaper reported. Haaretzreferring to the Prime Minister’s recent meeting with some families.

In the north, near Netanyahu’s second residence in Caesarea, hundreds of protesters accused the prime minister of guilty of a lack of protection that harmed citizens near the Gaza Strip and for later abandoning them and demanding early elections.

Some protesters carried balloons with the number 20 and posters with the face of a hostage and a soldier at an observation post near the Gaza Strip of Naama Levi, who is still in captivity and today turns 20 years old.

More than eight and a half months after the Hamas attack on October 7, 116 Israeli hostages remain in captivity and of these, US intelligence estimates that only about 50 will survive, as the newspaper reported a few days ago. Wall Street Magazine.

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In November, a unified armistice agreement was reached. achieved the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

On June 8, Israeli forces, after recovering seven lifeless bodies from the Gaza Strip in recent weeks, Four hostages were released alive in a rescue operation, which resulted in the death of about 270 Gazans.

(EFE)