Israeli public wants end to war, but that isn’t swaying Netanyahu
Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli diplomat, notes that a recent poll has shown that most of the Israeli public wants an immediate end to the country’s war on Gaza.
In contrast, Netanyahu’s office yesterday rejected a statement by Hamas reiterating its readiness to reach a deal that would lead to a long-term halt to the war and the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza.
“The public is also completely unclear and suspicious of what exactly it is that Mr Netanyahu is planning in Gaza,” said Pinkas, adding there is wariness about the long-term costs that will be incurred if the Israeli prime minister goes ahead with plans to fully reoccupy the Gaza Strip.
“The public mood, I’d say, is deflated and dejected,” he told Al Jazeera.
Israel saw most protests in August since war began: ACLED
Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), an armed conflict monitoring group, says more than 300 protests were recorded across Israel last month as the Israeli government escalated its war on Gaza – more than double the number of protests held in July.
“Nearly two years into the war, this is the largest number of Israeli protests we have seen,” Ameneh Mehvar, a Middle East senior analyst at ACLED, said in a statement.
“Throughout the month, public dissent has mounted from diverse groups in Israel. The largest share has been organized by families of hostages and their supporters, demanding a ceasefire deal to secure the hostages’ release.”
Palestinian citizens of Israel also took to the streets to condemn Israel’s Gaza bombardment and starvation policy. Meanwhile, Ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups also demonstrated against a push to recruit yeshiva students into the Israeli military.
“Nearly 70 demonstrations last month specifically called for Netanyahu’s resignation, accusing him of prioritizing political survival over the hostages’ return,” Mehvar added.
Israeli police arrests eight people at Gaza protest in Haifa
Israeli police detained eight people in Haifa after they joined a demonstration condemning Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. The arrests took place on Ben Gurion Street, where protesters held signs and chanted slogans, according to local media reports.
Police said the group had ignored repeated orders to disperse.
