Israelis protest against war in Gaza

Thousands of protesters rallied in Tel Aviv, Israel on Saturday, demanding an early end of the war in the Gaza Strip and resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.

It has become a regular event in Tel Aviv and sometimes in Jerusalem for Israelis to gather in the streets and air their grievances about the war in Gaza.

Some demonstrators blame the Israeli government and Netanyahu for failing to prevent the Hamas attack on October 7 last year. Others are concerned that the Israeli army let them down.

Much of the focus is on the roughly 130 hostages that remain in captivity. There is a growing pressure for the government to do something to make a deal to somehow get them home.

"I really hope that peace can be found soon and the hostages can be released and it would be really nice if both sides could live together, and I can't see how that's going to happen at the moment. I'm pretty pessimistic," said a Tel Aviv resident.

"Ask Hamas to bring back the hostages. If they bring back the hostages, I think the Israeli government could stop the war," said another resident.

"Just bring them home, just bring the hostages home," said another resident.

In two opinion polls to mark six months of war, the Israeli government fared badly. Most people think not enough is being done to get the hostages released, and half of those asked are calling for an election.

In more bad news for Netanyahu, hawks in the government coalition are threatening to leave if a deal is made with Hamas.

Israelis protest against war in Gaza

Israelis protest against war in Gaza

Israelis protest against war in Gaza

Gaza residents are facing heightened hardship amid the current Israel-Hamas conflict as they struggle for basic life necessities and have expressed outrage towards the Israeli forces for killing innocent civilians, with some saying the situation now is even more horrific than in the period following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Wednesday marks the anniversary of the start of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which resulted in the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians and is referred to as the "Nakba" or 'catastrophe'.

In Shujaiya, a neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, nearly all buildings have been destroyed by Israeli military operations, leaving a large number of residents homeless and with no choice but to seek refuge in temporary shelters.

The conditions in these shelters, many of which have been set up in schools, offer no access to basic living facilities or medical services, leaving many children unable to receive necessary medical attention when they fall ill.

Some even view the current crisis as being more severe than that of the war 76 years ago,

"Nowadays, the situation is even more difficult compared to that period after the 'Nakba' in 1948. We are experiencing displacement, hunger, blockade, destruction and a relentless enemy without any compassion. That's not a way to live," said Amjad Shallah, a displaced Gaza resident.

"Today, the catastrophe is different, with women and children being killed by the Israeli attacks. They not only target the armed personnel, but also the innocent civilians," said Musa Al-Bahtini, another displaced Gaza resident.

Gaza residents facing continued hardship during 'Nakba' anniversary