In his pre-recorded address at Hostages Square, Ben Ami thanked the protesters who have come out week after week to draw attention to the plight of the hostages and ensure that they remain in the public eye.
What keeps you going is that suddenly you see a nation fighting for you,” he said. “You have no idea, no idea how much power that gives to those left behind.”
„We carried out a military operation targeting a vital target of the Israeli enemy in Tel Aviv, using a hypersonic ballistic missile,“ Yemeni spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement aired by al-Masirah TV.
„The operation achieved its goal successfully,“ he said, adding that his group also carried out an attack using four drones and targeted „vital targets“ in Tel Aviv.
Thousands of protesters gathered Saturday evening, November 30, for a hostage release deal and cease-fire in Gaza across Israel, after Hamas released a video of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander in captivity. His mother, Yael, spoke at the main rally in Tel Aviv.
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, says that it is “impossible to hold back the tears” after watching the video released by Hamas which Alexander “begs to return home,” and attacked the far-right government.
“A government that does not put a new initiative on the table for a deal and an end to the war to bring back Edan and the other hostages is a government that betrays the hostages and their families, and sacrifices them to their deaths in captivity,” Zangauker says at the massive demonstration held in front of the Israeli army headquarters at Begin Road in Tel-Aviv. “This week, the prime minister signed a deal for an end to the war in Lebanon. How can it be that Netanyahu signs a deal for the north but prevents a deal for the end of the war in the South?”
(November 10, 2024)
Protests calling against Netanyhau’s government and for the release of hostages were also held Saturday evening in Jerusalem, Beersheba, Haifa, Kfar Sava, Raanana Junction, Nes Ziona, Ashkelon, Kiryat Gat, Rehovot, Karkur Junction, the southern Shaar HaNegev crossroad, Zikhron Yaacov and other localities. Five people were arrested in Jerusalem, Haifa and Karkur. At Haifa the police attacked again a protest vigil at Central Carmel, Activists from the Anti-Occupation Bloc, among them Hadash activists, demanded the end of the deadly war in Gaza and Lebanon and during the protest cops confiscated signs against the massacre in Gaza
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree speaks on the ballistic missile launched at Israel, September 15, 2024
(photo credit: SCREENSHOT/X)
Today, 6:37 am
Rocket warning sirens sound in Tel Aviv and the surrounding areas.
“This deal-sabotaging government is forsaking the captives and abandoning them to die,” said Yotam Cohen, the brother of Nimrod Cohen, an Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza.
“As long as Netanyahu is in power, this war will go on indefinitely and there will be no hostage deal. To save the hostages lives, Netanyahu must be replaced,” Cohen told The Associated Press news agency.
Protesters gather to pressure Benjamin Netanyahu‘s government to negotiate the release of hostages. The single protest also includes hostages‘ relatives and demonstrators calling for the end of the Israeli prime minister‘s government. Speakers at protest: Michal Lobanov, wife of the late Alex Lobanov who was killed last week by Hamas; Anat Angrest, mother of Matan Angrest; Einav Zangauker, mother of Matan Zangauker; Sha‘ban al-Sayed, father of Hisham al-Sayed; Amit Elgarat, nephew of Itzik Elgarat; Ido and Shani, friends of Gali and Ziv Berman.
An estimated 750,000 Israelis took to the streets in one of Israel’s biggest-ever protests as anger boils over at the government’s failure to bring those held captive home.
Many people have been arrested as protesters call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do a deal to bring home captives in Gaza.
Demonstrators accuse the police of using excessive force.
Protesters gather in Tel Aviv after Israel‘s army announced it recovered the bodies of 6 hostages in Gaza.
Thousands protested in Tel Aviv on Monday night, April 29, in a rally that later descended into clashes with police forces, arrests, and police violence toward protesters and relatives of hostages. The rally reached the King George Street near of the ruling Likud party’s headquarters, where police used a water cannon and mounted cops to disperse the protest.
Cops shoved Ilana Gritzewsky, Matan Zangauker’s partner who was kidnapped on October 7 and released in the November deal. Early protesters blocked the army headquarters entrance at Begin Street and Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan, addressed Netanyahu, saying he had to choose between bringing the hostages home and keeping intact his government over the objections of racist ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who vehemently oppose a hostage deal that would require a ceasefire. Einav Zangauker told Ynet that cops had pushed her to the ground at the Likud headquarters and that the police used excessive force and sent in disproportionate forces to disperse the crowd, in what she called “stepped-up violence.”
Protesters demonstrated against the government‘s inability to retrieve the remaining hostages, demanding an election.
(April 7, 2024)
The demonstration, held on the eve of the six-month mark of the war in Gaza, drew tens of thousands, with organizers claiming some 100,000 people were in attendance. Thousands more joined the call for early elections and a deal to secure the release of the hostages held in Gaza in smaller protests in other cities including Jerusalem, Haifa, Beer Sheva and Caesarea. Furthermore, there were demonstrations in over 50 additional locations across the country among them Kfar Sava, Karkur, Eilat, Kyriat Gar and Sha’ar Hanegev. The Israeli media define the demonstration as “the largest since October 7th.”
[2024-03-30 17:04 UTC]
In der Küstenmetropole Tel Aviv verlangten die Teilnehmer einer Kundgebung das sofortige Ende des Gaza-Krieges, um die noch mehr als 100 Geiseln in der Gewalt von Hamas-Terroristen im Gazastreifen freizubekommen. „Stellt die Kämpfe ein, bezahlt den Preis!“, zitierten israelische Medien einen der Redner, dessen Cousin unter den Geiseln ist. (…)
In der nördlichen Hafenstadt Haifa verlangten am Samstag mehrere Hundert Anhänger der linksorientierten Chadasch-Partei den Rücktritt des Regierungschefs. Auch in Jerusalem gingen mehrere Hundert Menschen gegen die Netanyahu-Regierung auf die Straße.
(31.12.2023)
The teens set out from Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Sunday and will reach the Knesset later today, where they will stage a protest calling for a new deal to return the remaining hostages still held in Gaza.
She told CNN that while she has been attending protests against the prime minister for years, this time feels different.
“I have never felt such rage and hatred towards a person since I was born. And I’m 66 I don’t remember myself feeling what I feel about this person, the f****** Bibi, there is no other word for him,” she said.
“He doesn’t take responsibility and I don’t believe he cares but for himself, even in those difficult times. He’s the criminal who’s capable to take us to the drain,” she said.
Avichai Brodetz said he would not leave until his wife and three children, Ofri, Yuval and Uriah were freed. He came and set himself up on the sidewalk outside the ministry and military HQ at 3 a.m. to stage his sit-in, accompanied by a number of supporters.
„I served in the military in compulsory and reserve duty and love my country. I am not angry at anyone, but I want a change in policy and that first of all the women and children be released. I think both sides in the war can agree on that. There cannot be any organization in the world that would want to harm a mother and her children.“
ABC News’ Matt Gutman reports from an anti-government demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel.
October 14, 2023
(14.10.2023)
As the protest grew throughout the day, there were some minor skirmishes between demonstrators and police.
Some protesters chanted “Go to jail, Bibi!” and “Leave!” Among the crowd, placards read: “Bibi, you have blood on your hands,” “We’ve been abandoned,” “Return the hostages immediately,” and “There’s no trust, resign.”
At times there were chants of “Shame,” the popular refrain in the months-long protests against the government’s judicial overhaul plan.
Sourasky Medical Center released a statement reading, “ Chen, 42, married to Vered, and father to three daughters, was killed on Saturday while preventing a major terror attack and saving many lives. His family agreed to donate his organs to save lives. The hospital shares in the family‘s grief. May his memory be a blessing.“
Tel Aviv municipal security officer Chen Amir, 42, was shot and killed by a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group after the terrorist raised officers’ suspicion in the bustling Nachalat Binyamin neighborhood. The terrorist was shot dead by Amir’s colleague, and a senior police source was later quoted by the Ynet news site as saying the gunman had possibly planned to target the anti-overhaul protesters at Kaplan.
Abu Bakr did not have an entry permit to Israel due to his affiliation with Islamic Jihad and the previous shooting attack.
The agency was investigating how he entered Israel.
The police commissioner told media at the scene that the suspect had a “martyrdom” letter on him, adding that “he came to be a martyr.”
The Shin Bet security service identified the assailant as Kamel Abu Baker, 22, from the Jenin area, who has been a fugitive in the Jenin refugee camp for the past six months. The Shin Bet said that he was affiliated with the Islamic Jihad terror group, but in a letter attributed to Abu Baker, he said he did not belong to any organization.
Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, who arrived on the scene, said the terrorist was Kamel Abu Bakr, a 22-year-old Palestinian resident of Jenin affiliated with the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization.
„After chasing the terrorist the security guard neutralized him. In a letter he wrote, the terrorist said he was willing to ‚sacrifice himself‘. We‘re currently looking into the possibility of the assailant having accomplices.“
Israel Police Chief Kobi Shabtai arrived at the scene and said the terrorist left a note saying he would be a martyr.
Protesters march in Tel Aviv after Israel’s parliament voted into law a contested curb on some Supreme Court powers submitted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s government.
Lapid and Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David reportedly discussed the outline for dialogue that the chairman and his colleagues had recently presented to the prime minister.
Bar-David said after meeting with Lapid: „I will continue to turn over every stone and work with all my might to try and find the right compromise.
Following the meeting, Lapid said he commends „the efforts of the chairman and the framework set by the Histadrut as a basis for shared dialogue.“ Bar-David said „I call on the other parties to show responsible leadership.„
Opposition leader Yair Lapid is meeting with Histadrut labor federation chair Arnon Bar-David in the latter’s office in Tel Aviv.
Bar-David has come under pressure from anti-overhaul protesters to call a strike over the coalition’s bill to curb the authority of the courts.
Anti-overhaul protesters are rallying outside the Histadrut’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, as chief Arnon Bar-David holds “emergency” deliberations amid calls for the labor federation to declare a strike.
Ami Eshed kündigte seinen Rücktritt von der Polizeispitze an, nachdem er von Israels rechtsextremem Minister für nationale Sicherheit ins Abseits gedrängt worden war, sagte der scheidende Polizeichef in einer Live-Fernsehsendung.
Itamar Ben Gvir hatte Eshed im März degradiert, nachdem er ihm vorgeworfen hatte, er habe sich in seiner Zeit als Polizeichef politisch verhalten. Die Degradierung wurde nach öffentlicher Kritik schnell wieder zurückgenommen.
(06.07.2023)
14 protesters were hospitalized following clashes with police Wednesday night, after thousands of Israelis took to the streets across the country immediately following the news of Tel Aviv District Police Commander Ami Eshed’s dramatic announcement of his resignation from the force.
(05.07.2023)
Eshed added that he could have easily met, as he put it, these expectations by using unreasonable force. „We could have cleared [Tel Aviv‘s Ayalon Highway] in minutes at the cost of breaking heads and crushing bones. … We could have filled the emergency room in Ichilov [Hospital] at the end of every demonstration.“
Nimrod Benny, a 71-year-old resident of Yavne, was injured during the police’s efforts to clear the terminal. Benny, who is disabled due to his service in the IDF, said that he was there “to save the country.” He highlighted the contrast between being invited to an event recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War one day and being subjected to violence the next, referring to the incident as being “beaten by Kalgasim” (a derogatory term used to describe police officers).
Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert joined the protesters as well.
Israeli demonstrators opposing the government‘s judicial reform blocked access to the Haifa port on Monday, with parallel rallies organized abroad. According to the organizers, the highlight of the day‘s protests will be a blockade of Ben Gurion airport in the afternoon.
The protest movement stated thousands of people were planning to protest against the resumption of work on the reform in the Knesset, scheduled to be discussed in the afternoon.
The State of Israel girded itself for disruptive protests against the judicial reform on Monday, with protesters blocking the Haifa Port in the morning and a large contingent of demonstrators expected at Ben Gurion airport at 5:30 p.m.
The meeting will take place on the closing day of the AJC Global Forum, which is being held in Tel Aviv. It will not be open to the entire forum, but rather, to a select group of representatives of the Jewish advocacy organization. More than 1,500 delegates are participating this week in the annual confab, being held only for the second time in history in Israel.
Negotiating teams will meet next week at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem to begin dialogue over the laws of the proposed judicial overhaul. This will be the first time the sides will discuss the details of the laws submitted to the Knesset, with previous meetings having focused on technical issues.
Several speakers at the protests called on opposition leaders to halt the negotiations, among them former IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, who addressed the central demonstration in Tel Aviv.
The Abu Jaber family has requested to see additional documentation from the incident, including the policeman‘s body camera footage and footage from security cameras. Police are not releasing the recordings. Omar claims „the police have changed their version [of the story] more than once, and so has the Magen David Adom emergency services – who we [citizens] trust.“ According to Omar, initially, MDA said someone had been shot in the attack, „which adds ambiguity,“ claimed Yousef had a weapon in his car and then later said it was a weapon-like object, and said the Italian tourist had been shot but later denied it. „We still haven‘t seen the toy-gun yet,“ Omar added.
„Es stellte sich anschließend heraus, dass alle Patienten Touristen waren, die auf dem Fußgängerweg unterwegs waren und leider in einen Terroranschlag geraten sind.“ Bei dem Todesopfer handelt es sich um einen jungen Anwalt aus Rom. Sieben weitere Touristen erlitten leichte bis mittelschwere Verletzungen.
Der Attentäter, ein Familienvater von fünf Töchtern, habe nach einer Waffe gegriffen und sei von einem Polizisten erschossen worden. Die Tageszeitung „Ha‘aretz“ berichtete unter Hinweis auf Polizeikreise, der Mann habe keine Waffe in seinem Fahrzeug gehabt, sondern vielmehr ein Spielzeuggewehr.
(Apr 7, 2023 9:53 pm)
At this point, a police officer and a municipal ranger arrived at the scene, and as they noticed the attacker attempted to reach a rifle-like object that was with him, they shot at him and killed him.
According to a police source, no weapon was found in Jaber‘s vehicle, but rather a toy gun. Tel Aviv District Commander Ami Eshed said that Police are looking into the possibility that this was not a terror attack. The Shin Bet security service are also involved in the investigation.
A police officer was at a petrol station when they „heard a noise and noticed a car upside down, and several people lying on the floor“, according to a statement.
Officers approached and „neutralized the driver and killed him“ after seeing he was reaching for a weapon.
Police said a car rammed into a group of people near a popular seaside park before flipping over.
A 30-year-old man from Italy was killed and four other people, including a 17-year-old, are receiving medical treatment for mild to moderate injuries, the rescue service said.
Police said they shot the driver of the car. The driver‘s condition is unknown at the moment.
Waving flags of Netanyahu’s Likud party, some 20,000 protestors marched through Tel Aviv, the site of the largest anti-government protests over the last few months. “The nation demands legal reform!” chanted some of the demonstrators in the counter-protest.
The right-wing Im Tirtzu group organized the “March for Freedom” with the aim of “being freed from the restraints of the High Court,” declaring that the people “have chosen judicial reform.”
(10 hours ago)
Netanyahu is set to travel to Germany on Wednesday afternoon as protesters against his government’s judicial reform threaten to block the road to the Ben Gurion Airport to disrupt his trip. According to the previous itinerary issued by his office, Netanyahu was supposed to return on Friday but the new release it would happen on Thursday.