Protesters in Netanyahu masks stage sit-in at Knesset cafe, demand hostage deal

A group of anti-government protesters staged a sit-in at the Knesset café today wearing masks of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several government ministers while zip-tying themselves to chairs. According to the Times of Israel, the protesters demanded a hostage deal. As Knesset guards moved in to remove them, the subsequent struggle attracted a large crowd.

Guards shouted at onlookers to stop recording as a protester resisting removal fell to the floor, taking two officers down with him. One woman raised her hands high as she was escorted out, revealing gloves stained red as a way to show that the government has Israeli blood on its hands, reported Haaretz.

This development comes amidst growing criticism of Netanyahu’s handling of the hostage situation. He has been accused of torpedoing ceasefire talks by imposing new conditions, such as military control over the Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of land between Gaza and Egypt. Critics argue that he is prioritising his personal interests over the safety and release of the hostages.

READ: Egypt proposes temporary Gaza ceasefire to allow hostage exchange

Despite stating initially that the release of hostages was the primary goal of the military offensive in Gaza, Netanyahu’s government has not only failed to secure their release, but also expanded military operations across the region.

Israel estimates that around 101 of its citizens are still held captive by Hamas in Gaza, with concerns that some may have already been killed in Israel’s indiscriminate air strikes across the densely populated area.

Efforts led by the US, Egypt and Qatar to secure a ceasefire and facilitate a prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas have so far stalled, with Netanyahu refusing to consider ending the genocide.

Israel has killed 43,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 100,000 since October last year, with 11,000 missing, presumed dead, under the rubble of their homes and other civilian infrastructure destroyed by the occupation state. The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the territory’s entire population amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

The occupation state faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza. It denies allegations that it is committing genocide.

READ: Norwegian premier says situation in Gaza ‘alarming, dramatic’ amid ‘barbaric’ Israeli war