As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moves forward with plans to escalate the military offensive in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of Israelis gathered once again on Saturday evening to protest the government's latest actions -- including the removal of a top security official.
Protests in Israel are intensifying. The weekly demonstrations, held every Saturday evening for more than two years, have taken on renewed urgency following the resumption of military operations in Gaza and the continued detention of 59 hostages in the territory.
Meanwhile, the Israeli government has voted to dismiss Ronen Bar, head of the Internal Security Agency. Government officials have suggested they may not comply with a Supreme Court ruling calling for at least a temporary freeze on the decision, which is set to take effect in early April.
Protesters in Tel Aviv emphasize the urgent need to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
"I was here two months ago, [there were] 50 percent less. I don't know exactly how many people are here, but you see more and more. I have a lot of friends who agree with me, and they wouldn't come here for their personal reasons. The only thing I can do in my personal life is [to] come here, remind my government that there are still Jews underground, and we need good leadership, and we don't feel we have that," said Yehuda, a protester.
Large crowds of Israelis in Tel Aviv and across the country say the Netanyahu administration is undermining the nation's democracy.
Nearly all of Israel's opposition leaders have joined the demonstrators.
"There is a supreme court in this country, and we need to make sure that the government follows the laws and the rules as exactly as everybody else," said Yair Lapid, head of the Israeli Opposition.
The demonstrators say Netanyahu and the Israeli government are willing to do whatever it takes to hold onto power -- even if it means dismantling the foundational pillars of Israeli democracy and abandoning the hostages still detained in Gaza.
"The Prime Minister is ready to sacrifice the hostages in order to have the coalition united and to postpone any election; that's why I think the decision to return to war is not a professional one; it is a political one," said Ayelet, one of the protesters.
Protests intensify in Tel Aviv over Gaza offensive, government actions
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
