Protests break out in Israel demanding an end to the ‘genocide’ in Gaza

JERUSALEM

Israeli protesters gathered in West Jerusalem on Friday to demand an end to the Israeli military campaign and genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Videos shared online showed protesters holding banners with messages such as “Stop the war,” “Stop the genocide” and “Stop the massacre.”

The demonstrators, known for their left-wing stance against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, chanted slogans and called for an immediate ceasefire.

Israeli police present at the rally reportedly seized the banners by force.

The demonstrators said: “Just as the Israeli government stopped the fire in Lebanon, it can also stop the fire in Gaza.”

In a separate demonstration, hundreds of Israeli women, including relatives of hostages held in Gaza, held a silent protest outside the Likud party headquarters in Tel Aviv.

According to Channel 12, the women dressed in white called for a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

“Mothers and relatives of the hostages leading the protest are urging Likud members to support a deal to release all prisoners,” the channel reported.

One participant expressed the group’s resolve, saying, “Today we stand as sisters, mothers and leaders with a clear message: Israel must do everything possible to bring our loved ones home at any cost. The price we pay if we leave them in captivity will be much greater for us as a nation.”

According to these families, 101 Israelis are currently being held in Gaza, half of whom are believed to have died.

They claim that a prisoner swap with Palestinians held in Israeli prisons is the only chance to bring their loved ones home.

Israel has launched a genocidal war against the Gaza Strip since October last year, killing more than 44,360 people, most of them women and children, and wounding more than 105,000.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn increasing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its deadly war on Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio

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