TEHRAN- Rifts between the Israeli cabinet and anti-war protesters are considerably widening.

Israelis have taken part in a weeklong protest campaign calling for a ceasefire with Hamas and the release of captives. 

The campaign dubbed the “week of resistance” began with mass protests in cities such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (al-Quds) on Saturday night.

In addition to a truce deal, the demonstrators want snap elections and the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

The protest movement comes as Israel’s brutal onslaught on Gaza entered its tenth month on Sunday. 

The Netanyahu regime launched war on Gaza after Hamas carried out a surprise military operation dubbed al-Aqsa Storm in southern Israel on October 7.  

Over 1,100 Israelis and foreigners were killed in the operation and about 250 people were taken captive.  

It is believed that 120 captives remain in Gaza after more than 100 of them were released as part of a November ceasefire deal. 

Israel has already concluded that dozens of the remaining captives are dead, and there are fears that the number will grow as the war drags on.

Most of them have lost their lives in Israeli strikes against the Gaza Strip. 

Israeli protesters say the continuation of the war will endanger the lives of the captives. 

They accuse Netanyahu, known as Bibi, of putting his political survival ahead of the lives of the captives. 

Bibi abandoning captives 

On Sunday, protesters gathered outside Netanyahu’s residence calling for a ceasefire deal with Hamas. 

The protesters said they have been “held captive by Netanyahu”.

They chanted, “Bibi is abandoning the hostages. We won’t agree to the abandonment of the hostages”.

The protests turned violent amid clashes with police. 

Reports suggest several people were detained and a number of others were injured. 

The mass protest movement comes against the backdrop of efforts to broker a truce mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar that gained momentum a week earlier.  

Wishful thinker 

Nonetheless, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich continues to beat the drums of war.

Smotrich, who heads a pro-settler party which is part of Netanyahu's coalition, said on Monday it would be a huge mistake to stop the onslaught on Gaza. 

He also wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Hamas is collapsing and begging for a ceasefire. This is the time to squeeze the neck until we crush and break the enemy.”

He added, “To stop now, just before the end, and let them recover to fight us again is a senseless folly that will take the achievements of the war bought with much blood down the drain. We must continue until victory!” 

His comments could be looked at from different angles.

First of all, Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that he would continue the Gaza war until “destroying” Hamas and achieving “total victory” over the resistance group. 

It stands out a mile that Israel’s decision to reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas is an admission that Netanyahu has failed to deliver on his promise. 

Hence, the “victory” call made by Smotrich, could claim the lives of more Israeli forces in the Gaza battlefield. The Israeli army's total deaths since October 7 have jumped to 680.

Likewise, the far-right minister has touched upon Israel’s achievements since October 7.  

Hamas has become stronger over the past months. It has put up resistance in the battlefield and dealt crushing blows to Israeli troops. 

As a result, his comments that Hamas is “collapsing and begging for a ceasefire” is a foolish delusion. 

Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that they are Palestinian resistance fighters who have squeezed the neck of Israeli forces and crushed the bogus and apartheid regime.  

Since early October, the Israeli army has butchered about 38,200 Palestinians in Gaza; many of them women and children. Israel could only call the slaughter of civilians an achievement!

Israel has been able to continue the Gaza war through the support of Western countries, in particular the United States. 

The US support for ceasefire also indicates that the White House is fully aware that its protégé, Israel, is incapable of eliminating Hamas. 

The Palestinian resilience has sent shockwaves not only through the United States but also Israel. 

Protesters in Israel are currently concerned that they could by consumed by the flames of growing Palestinian resistance against decades-long occupation and atrocious crimes of the Zionist regime.