A huge crowd of protesters gathered outside the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday (Nov 4) showing their frustration over the hostage situation and the tragic killings by Hamas in their October 7 assault. Police were present to manage the situation as anger mounted with demonstrations demanding accountability.

Waving Israeli flags and chanting slogans like “Jail now!”, the hundreds-strong crowd pushed through police barriers around Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem in a security breach. These events showed that there is increasing disappointment among the public towards political and security leaders, including Netanyahu and the defence forces.

In a video widely viewed and shared on X social media platform, a swarm of protesters was reportedly seen breaching the security put in place on the way to the Israeli PM’s house. They were reportedly demanding Netanyahu’s resignation over the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack.

One month has passed since the Israel-Hamas war started and since the initial attack which sent shockwaves across West Asia, public anger has also continued to grow over the hostage crisis. Hamas gunmen are holding many captive in the Gaza Strip which is facing air raids every day, with some even on schools housing displaced innocent people.

Families of those held hostage in Gaza have been critical of the government’s response and are calling for the safe return of their relatives.

In Tel Aviv, thousands also took to the streets, waving flags and displaying images of the captives in Gaza. Their signs bore slogans such as “Release the hostages now at all costs.” The crowds were seen chanting “bring them home now.”

One protester, Ofri Bibas-Levy, whose brother and two young nephews – four-year-old son Ariel and 10-month-old son Kfir – were among the hostages, expressed her concerns about their well-being in a conversation with Reuters.

She stated, “We don’t know where they are, we don’t know what condition they are kept in. I don’t know if Kfir is getting food, I don’t know if Ariel is getting enough food. He is a very small baby.”

In response to the attack, Israel launched a significant air and ground offensive in Gaza. This offensive, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled area, has resulted in over 9,000 casualties and extensive damage to parts of the enclave.

A poll found that 76 per cent of Israelis believe that Netanyahu, currently serving his record sixth term as prime minister, should resign. Additionally, 64 per cent of respondents in the poll favoured holding an election immediately following the war.

Moreover, the poll revealed that 44 per cent of Israelis attributed blame to Netanyahu, 33 per cent blamed the military chief of staff and senior IDF officials, and 5 per cent held the Defence Minister responsible.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.