Hundreds of Israeli protesters take to streets in order to call for early elections and release of Gaza hostages

Hundreds of Israelis took to the streets of Haifa and Rehovot against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding early elections and the release of hostages held in Gaza, local media reported on Saturday.

The protesters, gathered at Horev junction in the city of Haifa, were carrying banners with slogans such as "Elections Now" and "Save the Hostages," according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

In the city of Rehovot, dozens of people protested in front of the Weizmann Institute of Science, chanting slogans against Netanyahu, according to the newspaper.

Israelis have been protesting almost daily, demanding early elections and the release of hostages in Gaza, but major demonstrations are held on Saturdays.

Israeli officials estimate that there are around 136 hostages still held in Gaza since Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Palestinian resistance factions, led by Hamas, captured around 239 people in towns and cities near Gaza and last November exchanged dozens of them with Israel during a seven-day humanitarian pause.

In return, Palestinian prisoner institutions reported that Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from its jails during the pause, including 71 women prisoners and 169 children.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7 that killed at least 27,238 Palestinians and injured 66,452 following a surprise attack by Hamas. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza's population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.