Anti-war protests in Israel and Gaza

Despite chauvinistic sentiments in Israeli and Palestinian societies, not everyone on both sides of the front lines agrees with the war that began with the brutal attack by Hamas clerical fascists on October 7. Demonstrations are taking place in Israel and Gaza demanding an immediate ceasefire and holding to account the ruling circles on both sides responsible for escalating the conflict.

Already on October 14, voices were raised in Tel Aviv in solidarity with Israeli hostages taken by Hamas, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Netanyahu. He is accused that his policies have actually strengthened Hamas in opposition to Palestinian Authority circles willing to seek compromise and coexistence with Israel. The very next day, the government introduced measures authorizing the arrest of those who harm the “spirit of the nation.” After an anti-war demonstration in Haifa, the police chief threatened to send protesters to Gaza on October 19. Despite repression and terror by the far-right, a protest was staged outside the Israeli prime minister’s residence on November 4. On November 8, Israel’s Supreme Court authorized police to disperse anti-war rallies. Nevertheless, on November 18, the first legal demonstration against the war was held in Tel Aviv. A week later, on November 25, demonstrators gathered in Jerusalem, demanding the prime minister’s resignation. The following actions were met with police repression: on November 29, protesters were arrested outside the parliament, and on December 2 – outside the prime minister’s house in Caesarea. On December 16, protesters camped outside the Israeli War Ministry.

(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel–Hamas_war_protests)

On December 28, Israeli Jews and Arabs demonstrated together in Tel Aviv to demand a ceasefire. However, scheduled protest marches for Israeli-Palestinian peace in Tel Aviv on January 11 and in Haifa on January 13 were banned by the police.

(https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-deny-permit-for-anti-war-protest-left-wing-groups-vow-high-court-appeal/)

But a demonstration in Haifa followed on January 20. Protesters chanted: “Refuse to kill, refuse to fight, refuse to murder!”

(https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2024/1/20/refuse-to-fight-jewish-arab-activists-call-for-peace-in-israels-haifa)

The first protests against the Hamas regime in Gaza since the beginning of the war were reported back in the fall, but it was difficult to confirm this information, and the videos circulating on the Internet at the time were from before the war began.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1OaYZO-aWs)

However, there were periodic reports of “hunger riots” in Gaza – attacks on warehouses and food convoys. Now, in January 2024, there is finally evidence of major protests in Gaza against the war with Israel and against the clerical-fascist dictatorship, which, with its bloody provocation on October 7, exposed civilians in the Strip to bombing and fighting. For several days in January, hundreds of residents took to the streets. On January 25, they marched through the Khan Younis humanitarian corridor, chanting, “Down with Hamas!” “The people want a ceasefire! Netanyahu and Sinwar, we want a ceasefire. Enough with war and enough with the destruction!”, – could be heard over loudspeakers. The day before, a video of a protest by Gaza youth in front of a hospital in Deir el-Balah went around. Participants demanded that Hamas release Israeli hostages and end the war so that they could return to their homes in the northern sector.

(https://www.msn.com/de-de/nachrichten/welt/gazastreifen-hunderte-palästinenser-protestieren-gegen-die-hamas/ar-BB1hnNYd)

English translation: The Friends of the Class War // Друзья классовой войны

Source: https://www.autistici.org/tridnivalka/anti-war-protests-in-israel-and-gaza/