Israeli police have been filmed charging on horseback into protesters tonight marching in a huge rally in the city of Tel-Aviv against Prime Minister Netanyahu’s handling of the war against Hamas.
Tel-Aviv is Israel’s second largest city, behind the capital Jerusalem, and has played host to a number of rallies from Israelis marching to highlight the plight of hostages still being held by terrorists in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure to secure the release of the Israeli hostages taken during the Hamas attrocities of October 7.
Recent video was released by families of five female hostages showing them being threatened by their barbaric captors with violence and rape.
Tonight a sit-in in Democracy Square on Tel Aviv’s Kaplan street called for Netanyahu to do more to secure the release of those hostages still held by Hamas.
In disturbing scenes police on horseback were filmed charged at the apparently peaceful protest tonight, knocking several people to the ground.
Josh Breiner, from the Israeli news organisation Haaretz shared a video on X of some of the confrontations unfolding.
He criticised the police response, writing: “The truth was there was no reason for the police to start using measures. The protesters sat at the intersection, but the police did not like that.
“Troops entered in force, the atmosphere heated up, the mortar arrived and the cavalry began to go wild. Really unnecessary.”
One banner being carried by demonstrators read “our sisters are dying to be saved, stop the war”, while another read “our people are dying to be saved. Deal now”, urging the Mr Netanyahu to find a way to free the Israelis still held hostage.
The Jerusalem Post reports as police dispersed the crowd many chanted “shame, shame” at them. The Israel news site Ynet reported a man whose son Matan is being held in Gaza was one of the people detained by cops.
It’s reported some of the protesters blocked a water canon to prevent it being used on the crowd. The demonstrations against the government have happened elsewhere in Israel, in Jerusalem, and outside Mr Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea.
