Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest against the government's plans to expand the war in Gaza, reports DPA, quoted by BTA, citing Israeli media.
The rally was organized by a forum of relatives of hostages kidnapped by "Hamas" and taken to the Gaza Strip. The families fear that the planned military operations will endanger the lives of their loved ones.
"My Yossi was killed because of the intensity of the fighting. "He was hit by an air force missile at the place where he was being held," Nira Sharabi, the widow of slain hostage Yossi Sharabi, told the crowd, according to Haaretz.
On Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet approved plans to expand the military operation and capture Gaza City, the largest urban center in the war-torn Palestinian territory, possibly with the aim of establishing control over the entire coastal strip.
The military believes the hostages are being held in areas outside its control, which may include Gaza City.
Israeli authorities estimate that 50 hostages remain in Hamas captivity. About 20 of them are believed to be alive.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage, DPA recalls. In the retaliatory massive air strikes and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip by Israel, more than 61,000 people were killed, according to data from the health authorities controlled by "Hamas".
International pressure on Netanyahu to conclude a peace deal is increasing amid growing concern about the increasing death toll in Gaza and widespread hunger.
At the same time, police in London said they had arrested 466 people for participating in a protest in support of the banned group "Action for Palestine". Membership in and support for it is an offence that can lead to imprisonment for up to 14 years under British anti-terrorism laws.
Another eight were detained for other offences, including assaulting police officers.
A 14-year-old boy died after being hit by a humanitarian aid container dropped by air in the Gaza Strip, local medics reported today, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
The incident occurred near the “Nuseirat“ refugee camp in central Gaza, the extremist movement “Hamas“ the enclave's health ministry. DPA notes that the information cannot be independently verified.
After months of blocking air deliveries, Israel allowed limited airdrops and, to a lesser extent, ground transportation into Gaza at the end of last month.
Yesterday, the Palestinian Authority reported that six people, mostly children, were injured in Gaza City after a container carrying humanitarian aid hit a balcony, causing it to collapse.
The airdrop of humanitarian aid has sparked controversy, with critics saying it is ineffective and dangerous. They note that significantly more could be delivered by truck if Israel allows it.
But truck deliveries are also considered unreliable, with many shipments looted before they reach those most in need, by both civilians and armed groups.
According to the Israeli military, planes from Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, the UAE and Jordan dropped 106 aid containers over Gaza today.
The head of the office of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Torsten Frei, rejected accusations that Berlin had made a risky change in its policy towards Israel by ending its arms exports to it, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
„There should be no doubt that the basic principles of German Israel policy remain unchanged. "Germany will continue to support Israel with everything it needs to defend its existence and security," Frei told the agency.
He specified that the restrictions only apply to military equipment that can be used in the Gaza Strip. The German government representative described it as a carefully considered response to Israel's announced plans to expand the military operation and take control of Gaza City.
Frei warned that such an offensive would have a heavy cost for the civilian population. He stressed that the supply cutoff did not apply to equipment for Israel's self-defense, such as air and naval defense systems.
"In these areas, Israel will of course continue to receive as much support as possible," he said.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Germany of "rewarding" the Palestinian movement "Hamas" with its decision.
"Instead of supporting Israel's just war against "Hamas", which carried out the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, Germany is rewarding "Hamas" terrorism with an arms embargo against Israel“, his office said in a statement.
The decision has sparked political controversy in Germany.
Merz's move has been backed by Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, who leads the center-left Social Democratic Party, Merz's junior coalition partner. But there are divisions within his own Christian Democratic Party (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), the DPA reported.
Foreign policy experts from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group will discuss the issue tomorrow. The group's meetings are common when major events occur, but the hastily organized discussion during the summer break suggests just how sensitive the issue is.