TEHRAN- Tens of thousands of protesters have poured into the streets in Israel demanding the ouster of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, holding an immediate election, and agreeing on a deal with Hamas to free captives.

It is believed to be the largest anti-government demonstration since the regime began its genocidal war on Gaza.

The protesters stretched for kilometers around the parliament building known as the Knesset in occupied al-Quds (Jerusalem). 

They were pictured gathering around fires and chanting slogans condemning the Israeli premier for his failures in Gaza. 

Other footage shows sections of the crowd setting off flares while others were seen clashing with police. Some of the protesters appear to have been forcibly dragged away and arrested. 

Elsewhere, settlers flooded the streets of major Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv, on Sunday for the second consecutive night. The demonstrators are also calling for immediate elections. 

One protester has been cited by Israeli media as saying Netanyahu was “like the captain of the Titanic, lost at sea and telling us that in a moment he will defeat Hamas”. 

The Netanyahu government had vowed to eliminate Hamas, the strongest resistance force in Gaza, and release all those held by the group. However, after half a year of war on the tiny strip it has failed to achieve any of its goals.    

Netanyahu has faced stinging scrutiny for the security and intelligence failure following the al-Aqsa Storm Operation by the Palestinian resistance in Gaza. 

Families of the captives who helped arrange the protests in al-Quds are reportedly set to join ranks with the larger anti-Netanyahu protest movement that shook Tel Aviv for the best part of 2023 over the government’s judicial overhaul plans. 

Netanyahu continues to face an increasing level of pressure. On the one hand, condemnation has been on the rise within his own government, and on the other, thousands of Israelis have been protesting almost every day against his policies in Gaza since October 7. 

Despite Netanyahu’s vow to eliminate Hamas and release all captives, many believe any victory in Gaza that would achieve the Israeli government’s declared goals is delusional. 

Opposition leader Yair Lapid has joined the chorus of those calling for early elections, saying Netanyahu’s government must go since it has failed in Gaza. 

“One after the other, the ministers of the government go on air this morning and attack the families of the abductees. You are out of your mind,” Lapid said in a post on social media, reminding Netanyahu’s government that it allowed captives to be taken “on your watch”. 

Netanyahu’s closest ministers have taken to the airwaves to verbally attack the wave of anti-government protests. 

Lapid also denounced the government for failing to release Israeli captives during deadly combat in Gaza for six months now and blaming the families of the captives for holding protests demanding a prisoner exchange deal. 

“For half a year, you fail to bring them home, and then you blame their families? This government of destruction must go home. Election now,” he pointed out. 

Apart from freeing the captives, one of the biggest problems facing Netanyahu is now almost daily reports emerging over Israeli army casualties in Gaza. 

The army has acknowledged, under its strict media publishing clause, the death of another soldier from the Egoz commando unit, who succumbed to his injuries after being wounded by an RPG shell during fierce battles with the Palestinian resistance forces in the Khan Younis region, southern Gaza. 

The Israeli military had earlier acknowledged the killing of an officer in its ranks, along with the injury of 16 soldiers, including six who are in critical condition, during a confrontation between the Palestinian resistance forces and the regime’s ground forces in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday. 

According to Israeli media outlets, the deceased officer was Major Sergeant Alon Kudriashov with the Egoz unit affiliated with the special forces unit. 

The Israeli military has “allowed for publication” the death of at least 600 soldiers since the war on Gaza started. 

On Sunday, Israeli media reported on the increasing number of troops who are being killed or injured at the hands of resistance fighters in Gaza. 

According to the Israeli Channel 12, 600 troops have been killed and 3,000 injured. 

Such figures have not been observed for decades.  

Experts say the true number of military casualties is much higher. 

To make matters worse, an experienced Israeli Air Force officer has fired on his own soldiers in Gaza almost killing them, Israeli media has reported. 

The pilot is said to have pressed the wrong button in the cockpit of his Apache helicopter. 

Israeli media reports have cited senior military officials as describing their shock over the incident due to the rank of the pilot who was flying the chopper.