TEHRAN- A growing number of people inside Israel are joining anti-war protests as the regime’s brutal onslaught on the Gaza Strip rages on. Thousands of people demonstrated in several cities including in Tel Aviv at the weekend calling for an end to the Gaza war.

The protesters demanded that Israel agree to a truce deal with Hamas to secure the release of captives. They also called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation and early elections. 

Hundreds of demonstrators also chanted against Netanyahu outside his official residence in al-Quds (Jerusalem), accusing the premier and his cabinet of abandoning the captives.  

“Alive, alive, we want them alive!” they chanted, according to Israeli media. 

In Tel Aviv, police clashed with protesters and made arrests. 

Such protests have become a regular occurrence in Israel over the past months. 

Israel declared war on Gaza after Hamas carried out a surprise military operation in southern Israel on October 7. 

More than 1,100 people were killed and nearly 250 others were taken captive in the attack. Dozens of them still remain in Gaza following a swap deal in November last year. 

Despite growing pressure on Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas, the Israeli army continues to carry out deadly strikes across Gaza. It is also pressing ahead with an offensive in Rafah despite warnings by UN agencies and rights organizations about the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe there.   

Netanyahu has repeatedly said the Israeli war on Gaza is aimed at freeing captives and destroying Hamas. He has vowed to continue the war until “total victory” over the resistance movement. 

However, Israelis say the regime’s continued military operations endanger the lives of captives. They believe Netanyahu is prolonging the war to keep himself in power. 

Earlier this month, several Israeli military officers told Middle East Eye that Israel has abandoned its goal of freeing the captives. 

One of the officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Netanyahu cabinet’s aims are unclear and the objective of rescuing captives and destroying Hamas has “collapsed”.

The officer said the war has become “personal” for Netanyahu.  

Similar remarks have been made by Israeli opposition leaders and the families of captives. 

On Saturday, opposition leader Yair Lapid pledged to work toward the fall of Netanyahu's cabinet and the return of captives. 

"My job is to do everything so that at the right moment this power of yours will turn into political change," Lapid wrote on X.

Lapid’s statements shed light on the growing political divisions among Israeli officials.

These rifts indicate that Israel has failed to achieve its goals on the battlefield despite slaughtering over 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza. 

Israel has not only failed to bring Hamas to its knees, but it has also been unable to free captives.

Dozens of the captives have also lost their lives during Israeli strikes in Gaza. 

Nonetheless, Netanyahu’s political future depends on perpetuating the conflict because he wants to evade responsibility and accountability for his regime’s failure to prevent Hamas’ October 7 military operation. 

The Israeli army has failed to defeat Hamas over the past seven months despite receiving huge military support from its allies, in particular the US. 

The regime is currently sinking deeper into the quagmire of the Gaza war as it insists on pressing ahead with the onslaught.