Israeli police clash with demonstrators demanding an immediate deal to return detainees (Getty)
Thousands of Israelis flocked - today, Sunday - to demonstrate in the vicinity of government headquarters and in front of the Knesset headquarters in the occupied city of Jerusalem, to demand the return of prisoners, a deal with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), and the dismissal of the government, while the Israeli police raised a state of alert.
Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that the demonstrators set up tents for a sit-in in front of the Knesset headquarters, and also hung banners holding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for the lives of those detained by Hamas, and demanding the departure of the government, which they described as a government of destruction and devastation.
She added that the families of the Israeli prisoners detained in Gaza are continuing their sit-in in front of the Knesset for the second day, and that they will continue their demonstrations for 4 days, stressing that the police have closed some main streets.
Israeli Channel 12 also said that the police deployed hundreds of its members in Jerusalem, in preparation for the demonstrations.
Israeli demonstrators demand the dismissal of the government (Getty)
"The state is paralyzed"
During his participation in the demonstration, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said that nothing matters to Netanyahu except holding on to his seat, as he put it.
He added - addressing Netanyahu - that the elections will not paralyze the state, because it is “paralyzed now,” stressing that the battle with Hamas, the prisoner deal, the Northern Front, and the government are all “failed” under his presidency.
This comes after Netanyahu said - in a speech - that the Israeli call for elections would disrupt negotiations to reach a deal.
"The obstacle is Netanyahu"
The families of the Israeli prisoners detained in Gaza considered Netanyahu to be the main obstacle in the way of seeing their children.
In a statement, the families described Netanyahu's behavior as a "crime" and said that they would never see their children if they did not do everything to remove him from power.
The statement added that the families of the prisoners will from now on demand the ouster of Netanyahu, and that they will demonstrate to overthrow him.
Commenting on this, Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Shikli said that the protests in Tel Aviv demanding a prisoner exchange deal are a “gift to the Hamas movement,” and they also weaken the soldiers on the front, as he put it.
He added that the protests indicate that Jews have returned to fighting each other, and this is counterproductive, according to what was reported by Israeli Channel 12.
In a related development, nearly 200 private Israeli companies allowed their employees to be absent from work next week, to participate in demonstrations in West Jerusalem to demand the conclusion of a swap deal.
Yesterday evening, Saturday, Israel witnessed huge demonstrations in which tens of thousands of people participated, to pressure the Netanyahu government to conclude an exchange deal with Hamas and hold early elections.
Source: Al Jazeera + Anatolia