Thousands of Israelis gathered on Wednesday outside the Parliament building in Jerusalem to call for a renewed cease-fire deal in Gaza and to protest political moves by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including firing the head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency.
The convergence of popular anger over both domestic and national security issues came a day after Israel carried out deadly aerial attacks across the Gaza Strip in what Mr. Netanyahu said was “only the beginning.” The strikes ended a temporary truce with Hamas that began in January and added to the uncertainty over the fate of hostages still held there.
The broad sense of national solidarity over the war in Gaza, which was set off on Oct. 7, 2023, by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, appears to be fraying. Critics accuse Mr. Netanyahu of placing his political survival and bolstering his right-wing government ahead of the country’s best interests.
The Israeli leader appears to be emboldened by the broad backing of President Trump, who has shown little opposition to his approach in Gaza. Despite its strong support for Israel, the Biden administration periodically pushed Israel to do more to avoid civilian casualties in the territory and to alleviate the humanitarian crisis there.
The Trump administration appeared to back Israel’s decision to resume wide-scale attacks, with the White House saying Israel had consulted with the United States before launching its assault. This month the Trump administration bypassed Congress to send Israel $4 billion in arms and floated a new cease-fire proposal that breaks significantly with the deal signed in January.
