Tens of thousands hold protests against far-right Netanyahu government as Gaza war reaches half-year mark

Tens of thousands of people again took to the streets of Israeli cities on Saturday evening to protest against the right-wing religious government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Approximately 100,000 individuals gathered at "Democracy Square," a Tel Aviv intersection that has been dubbed as such in light of the widespread demonstrations against polarizing judicial changes last year, according to event coordinators.

They called for a more serious effort to negotiate the release of hostages held by Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.

This Sunday will be exactly six months since Hamas fighters and other resistance groups attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing almost 1,200 people and kidnapping another 250 as hostages in the Gaza Strip.

One of the speakers in Tel Aviv remembered Netanyahu's brother Joni, who died as an elite soldier in 1976 while freeing hostages from a plane hijacked by Palestinian and German fighters.

"And what about you, Bibi?" he asked, addressing Netanyahu by the shortened form of his first name. "What have you done? What will your legacy be? Nothing but political spin and intrigue (...) will be your legacy."

There were also demonstrations in Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba, Herzliya and in Caesarea in front of Netanyahu's private villa.

According to media reports, Saturday was the largest protest since October 7.

Israel is now being criticized worldwide for its brutal warfare. According to the Palestinian Health Authority, 33,000 Palestinians have been killed. The information makes no distinction between fighters and civilians. Up to 70 percent of the victims are said to be women, minors and older men.

According to Israeli estimates, almost 100 of the remaining hostages are still alive today. As part of an agreement, Hamas released 105 hostages during a week-long ceasefire at the end of November last year. In return, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from its prisons.