Why Israelis dey protest against Netanyahu and wetin fit happun next?
Wia dis foto come from, EPA
- Author, Jasmin Dyer
- Role, BBC News
- Read am in 6 mins
Israel first nationwide strike since di Hamas attacks on October 7 take place afta tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrate in cities across di nation. Widespread protests begin afta dem recova di bodis of six hostages for di south of Gaza.
Wia dis foto come from, EPA
Why now?
Protesters dey accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of blocking ceasefire and hostage release deal sake of im own political survival.
Families of dose wey Hamas hold captive don disapprove Netanyahu strategy but dia anger intensify afta dem discova di bodis of six hostages wey Israeli Defence Forces recova from underground tunnel for di Rafah area of southern Gaza.
Di six bodis na dat of Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sgt Ori Danino.
Dem bin schedule to release three of dem in di first phase of cease-fire proposal wey dem bin discuss for July.
Protesters hold sign wey say ‘You be di head, you go take di blame’.
11 months on from di Hamas attack on October 7, 97 hostages still dey captive for Gaza, including 33 pipo wey dem believe say fit don die.
Wia dis foto come from, EPA
Wetin protesters want?
Ceasefire deal wit Hamas, to ensure di release of di remaining 97 hostages, na di protesters priority.
Sharone Lifschitz, wey im papa Oded dey among pipo wey still dey for captivity for Gaza, tell BBC Radio4 Today programme di killing of di six hostages na "wetin bin dey fear us all dis time"and na becos of “delay in reaching deal” wit Hamas.
She say dia message dey clear and dem go continue to dey repeat am until dem reach agreement wey go “get our pipo back home, stop dis ongoing senseless war."
Di Hostages Families Forum tok say na all six of dem, dem “kill in di last few days, afta surviving almost 11 months of abuse, torture, and starvation for Hamas captivity".
"Di delay in signing di deal don lead to dia deaths and dose of many oda hostages," one statement tok.
Who dey organise di protests?
Protesters enta di streets as news break say di bodis of six hostages, wey dem bin believe say dey alive, bin dey discovered for Gaza.
Calls for further demonstration and general strike go soon follow.
Histadrut, Israel main trade union, dey behind di nation largest general strike since October 2023.
Di Hostages and Missing Families Forum ask di general public to take part in “massive demonstration” to “stop di kontri” and many public services and major roadways face disruption as result.
Israeli opposition leader, Yair Lapid, wey also be di former prime minister, come out in support of di demonstrations, calling on all Israelis “wey dia heart dey broken” following di news of di hostages deaths, to join di protests.
Wia dis foto come from, EPA
Wetin be di response of di Israeli goment?
Benjamin Netanyahu don reject any suggestion say im block di ceasefire deal, as im blame Hamas.
E say Israel “no go rest” until dem catch pipo wey dey responsible for di killings.
Hamas official, Izzat al-Rishq, blame di refusal of Israel to agree ceasefire for di deaths, but dem no directly address how di hostages die.
Afta widespread disruption of roads, banks, schools and airports, Israel Labour court rule say di general strike gatz end at 14:00 local time, but protesters vow to continue until di evening. Di strike dey originally scheduled to run ova two days.
Israel Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, wey pipo sabi for im far-right views, call di strikes illegal and welcome di court ruling.
Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, wey don dey beg Netanyahu to negotiate ceasefire deal, post on X, wey pipo sabi as Twitter, demanding Israel security cabinet reverse dia endorsement of Netanyahu negotiation demands.
"E dey late for di abductees wey dem kill in cold blood. Di abductees wey remain in di captivity of Hamas gatz return home,” im post.
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How Israelis dey feel about di protests?
Thousands of Israelis turn out in support of hostage families, despite several cities and municipalities wey dey tok say dem no go take part in di demonstrations.
Tamara, from Tel Aviv, tell di BBC she no gree wit di strikes: “We want di hostages back – but we no fit stop evritin; we need to live.”
Niva - wey dey also live for Tel Aviv - say she dey surprised to see so many shops open as strike dey go on.
She tell di BBC “di kontri dey veri confrontational mood now, but im [Netanyanhu] no dey listen.
“Somtin in dis whole situation need to change. Why we go dey live in fear?”
Wetin be di impact dis go get on Netanyahu goment?
Dis protests - since Hamas don hit Israel for October 7 - dem aim to put pressure on di goment to secure di ceasefire deal.
But wit so much of di anger wey dem dey direct at di prime minister personally, e dey difficult to know weda di protests go lead to meaningful change to im strategy.
Alistair Burt, former Conservative MP and foreign office minister in di UK, tell di BBC say “na becos [Netanyahu] dey trapped by some members of im cabinet wey no want am to make deal wit Hamas and imsef don set imsef on di path wia e go need to deliver wetin im promise to succeed, even though e dey impossible.”
