Tens of thousands of Israelis protest again on Saturday against Netanyahu

Follow the latest news on the war in Gaza live

June 29 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets again on Saturday to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to demand an agreement for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

Once again, the largest mobilization against Netanyahu has been in Tel Avivi for another week, but there have also been important protests in Haifa and Jerusalem, as well as in the cities of Beersheba and Mitzpe Ramon, in the south of the country, according to the Israeli newspaper. ‘The Times of Israel’.

In a separate call, the Forum of Families of Hostages and Missing Persons has gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square in a non-political protest to demand an agreement with Hamas for the return home of the hostages.

Another rally was held in front of the Israeli Armed Forces headquarters in Tel Aviv under the slogan “Don’t let Netanyahu torpedo the deal.”

“What separates us from our loved ones is Netanyahu’s insistence on not ending the war as part of the agreement,” denounced the daughter-in-law of dead hostage Yoram Metzger, Ayala Metzger. “Do not allow Netanyahu to torpedo an agreement again,” she appealed in a speech addressed to the military leadership.

Meanwhile, in northern Israel, hundreds of protesters have blocked traffic at the Amiad junction on Route 90 following a demonstration from a nearby kibbutz. The protesters are blaming Netanyahu for “abandoning the north, the south and everything in between.”

POLICE VIOLENCE IN JERUSALEM AND TEL AVIV

Israeli media have reported on different episodes where security forces have dispersed protests by force.

In Jerusalem, a police officer threatened a protester, saying: “Son of a bitch (…), I’m going to rape your mother,” during a protest near Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence. In a video posted on the social network X, the officer can be seen confronting the protester and insulting him before being pulled away by other police officers.

A police spokesman told Ynet, the media outlet that posted the clip, that the protester who was threatened was a “repeated troublemaker” and confirmed his arrest for “disturbing public order.”

However, he has condemned the behavior of the police officer involved, claiming that his behavior “does not conform to the standards of speech and conduct expected of every police officer even in such turbulent situations” and has assured that his actions at the scene will be of the facts “will be examined and dealt with accordingly”.

In Tel Aviv, opposition Labour MP Naama Lazimi has claimed that “policemen assaulted her” while trying to disperse the demonstration. This is another police action that has been recorded on video and posted on the social network X.

“They pulled my hair and strangled me, all while protesters were shouting that I was a member of the Knesset. It’s scary to think what would have happened if there were no protesters around me. Brutal, harsh violence, and it could have been worse,” she said in a statement reported by Ynet.