Jerusalem, August 10(HS): Thousands of Israelis rallied in Jerusalem and other cities, including Haifa and Tel Aviv, to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for a full military occupation of Gaza City. Demonstrators, among them more than 350 former soldiers refusing further service in what they call a “political war,” marched towards the prime minister’s residence demanding an end to the escalation.
The Israeli security cabinet recently approved a strategy built on five principles: disarming Hamas, securing the release of all hostages, demilitarising the Gaza Strip, taking security control of the territory, and establishing a new civil administration not affiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
The plan has drawn strong condemnation from the United Nations and countries including the UK, France, Germany, Australia, Turkey, Finland, and Canada. The UN warned that a complete military takeover could have “catastrophic consequences” for Palestinian civilians and the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
Protests highlight deep domestic divisions and fears that the move will worsen the humanitarian crisis while putting hostages in greater danger.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
