In Israel, protests against the government began
Four days of protests demanding the resignation of the government have begun in Israel. The protesters demand early elections.
This was reported by The Times of Israel.
The protest organizers called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to resign, for Israel to hold early elections, and for the country's leadership to agree to a hostage deal that would lead to the release of 130 prisoners held in the Gaza Strip since then.
Four days of protests and gatherings are planned to take place in Jerusalem this week.
Organizers said that more than 100,000 people took part in the action, and the media reported that the turnout was in the tens of thousands.
Footage of the rally appeared online.
Many participants in the Jerusalem rally expressed distrust that Netanyahu is still in power and that the country has not yet held elections six months after the Hamas terrorist attack.
"It is beyond belief that this country, which was so successful… is being led down [this] path by one man and his henchmen," one protester told the source.
"We need elections. The government doesn’t have the public’s faith. And [now] they want to pass a law allowing one in five people to avoid army service," said another participant.
According to police, at least one protester was arrested.
Protesters set up more than 100 tents near the Knesset to spend the night at the scene.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, answering journalists' questions about the possibility of elections, said that such a step would paralyze the country - "in the midst of war, at the moment before victory" - for up to eight months.
"It would paralyze negotiations for freeing our hostages and would bring an end to the war before the goals are completely achieved,” he said. “And the first who would welcome this is Hamas, and that tells you everything," the prime minister replied.-
