Israeli police repelled protesters who were demonstrating outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence today, Saturday, amidst severe anger over the failures that led to the attack launched by Hamas militants last month on Israeli towns surrounding the Gaza Strip. Hundreds waved the Israeli flag and chanted "jail now!" before breaching police barriers around Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem. This protest highlights the growing public anger towards political and security leaders and coincided with a poll showing that more than three-quarters of Israelis believe Netanyahu should resign.
Netanyahu has not yet acknowledged personal responsibility for the failures that allowed the surprise attack by hundreds of Hamas militants on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 people and the capture of at least 240 hostages. As the initial shock faded, public anger intensified, with many families of the hostages held in Gaza strongly criticizing the government's response and demanding the release of their loved ones.
Thousands also demonstrated in Tel Aviv, waving flags and holding pictures of some hostages in Gaza, with signs reading slogans such as "Free the hostages now at any cost." Since then, Israel has continued an intense air and ground assault on Gaza, where health authorities reported that at least 9,488 Palestinians have been killed due to the attacks so far. Vast areas of the Hamas-controlled territory have been reduced to rubble.
Netanyahu has been a divisive figure even before the war, as he faced corruption charges that he denies, and proposed a plan to limit judicial powers, which led hundreds of thousands to take to the streets to protest. A survey conducted by Israeli Channel 13 this Saturday revealed that 76% of Israelis see the necessity for Netanyahu's resignation, while 64% believe elections should be held immediately after the war. When asked who bears the most responsibility for the Hamas attack, 44% of poll participants held Netanyahu accountable, while 33% blamed the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army and senior military officials, and 5% blamed the Defense Minister.
