Public calls for resignation of Israeli PM Netanyahu: 'Stop the bloodshed'

As Israeli attacks deepening the humanitarian crisis in the blockaded Gaza Strip continue, Israelis whose relatives were taken hostage by Palestinian groups held a demonstration against the government.

Hundreds of Israelis gathered in front of the Ministry of Defense in the capital, Tel Aviv. Relatives of Israelis taken hostage by Palestinian armed groups in the blockaded Gaza Strip demanded that the government bring their loved ones back.

''WE ARE ALL HUMAN''

Israelis lit candles for the Israeli hostages in Gaza and posted photos of their relatives on the garden walls of the Ministry of Defense.

Merav Bar, who joined the demonstration to support the families of Israeli hostages in Gaza, stated in her remarks that she "joined the demonstration to show that she is against the killing of people on both sides," adding, "I tell people to stop the bloodshed. Start talking. What happened in Israel last week was terrible, but revenge will not bring anyone back, nor will it make the situation here any better. We are all human, we must know that there are people on both sides of the border who want hope. If we kill hope, this is what we end up with," she said.

Stating that the government in Israel should step down, Bar said, "We must bring all Israeli hostages home, and for this, I support the release of all Palestinian and Hamas prisoners in Israel."

''HELP US''

Eilan Moshe Varda, whose aunt Adina Moshe was taken hostage in the Nahal Oz settlement near the Gaza Strip, also reported that her uncle lost his life in the events and that they have not yet been able to hold his funeral.

Varda said, "My aunt is sick, she needs to take her medication. I want all human rights organizations to help us bring her and the other hostages back," she said.

CALLS FOR "NETANYAHU RESIGN"

Some groups participating in the demonstration also held a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, another group held a demonstration supporting the government. Heated verbal altercations occasionally occurred between pro-Netanyahu and anti-Netanyahu groups.

The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, and other Palestinian groups launched a comprehensive attack on Israel on the morning of October 7, dubbed "Al-Aqsa Flood." Palestinian groups took numerous civilians and military personnel hostage from Israeli settlements and military posts around the Gaza Strip.

In Israel, 4 out of every 5 Jews blame the country's leadership for the attack launched by Palestinian groups from the blockaded Gaza Strip on October 7 and its consequences.

According to a survey conducted by the Dialog Center in Israel with 620 Jews across the country, 86 percent of participants hold the country's leadership responsible for the attack by Palestinian groups in Gaza.