By Outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence, a somber procession of empty coffins, draped in Israeli flags, moved through the streets. This display followed the recent tragic discovery of six Israeli hostages, who were found dead in a Gaza tunnel. The victims—Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master Sgt Ori Danino—were reportedly executed by Hamas shortly before Israeli forces located them.
The deaths have sparked widespread public outrage, leading tens of thousands to take to the streets once more on Monday, following a significant wave of demonstrations in Tel Aviv. Despite the large-scale mobilization, Netanyahu’s response has remained steadfastly unchanged; he continues to ignore the protests, relying on his parliamentary majority to weather the political storm.
A general strike organized by the country’s labor union on Monday saw limited compliance, with many businesses in Tel Aviv remaining open. Residents like Tamara and Niva voiced mixed feelings about the strike, reflecting a broader hesitance to fully disrupt daily life despite the ongoing crisis.
In a recent press conference, Netanyahu firmly rejected calls for further concessions in hostage and ceasefire negotiations, arguing that such concessions would only incentivize more violence. He dismissed US President Joe Biden’s suggestions that Israel needed to do more to secure a ceasefire, emphasizing that making concessions would not be productive.
The crisis also includes a key demand from Hamas for Israel to withdraw its forces from the Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of land along Gaza’s border with Egypt. Although Israel’s defense chief, Yoav Gallant, has backed alternative solutions, Netanyahu’s previous attempt to dismiss him amid earlier protests remains a significant issue. According to political analyst Tamar Hermann, Netanyahu’s most pressing challenges now may stem from internal government pressures and international demands, rather than the street protests alone.
