Protests erupt in Israel over Gaza fighting, Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar's firing

Thousands of Israelis converged outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Wednesday, waving national flags and voicing outrage over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest moves, blending fury over national security with their fears for the country’s democracy. The demonstrations, which shut down the main highway into the city during morning hours, erupted a day after Israel launched deadly airstrikes on Gaza—ending a fragile truce with Hamas that had held since January.

The protests mark a sharp unraveling of the unity that rallied Israel after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which killed over 1,200 and saw 251 abducted. Tuesday’s strikes, the first in months, targeted Hamas figures in a bid to pressure the group into releasing the remaining 59 hostages, but they’ve reignited domestic tensions. Demonstrators demanded a ceasefire deal to bring the captives home, accusing Netanyahu of prioritizing his political survival—bolstered by a looming budget vote—over their lives. Scenes of marchers streaming into Jerusalem echoed the pre-war turmoil of 2023, when mass protests against judicial reforms signaled deep divisions that security experts later linked to Israel’s vulnerability.

The trigger for Wednesday’s rallies was twofold: the Gaza operation and Netanyahu’s announcement that he intends to sack the head of the Shin Bet, citing a “lack of personal trust.” Critics see this as part of a broader effort to curb independent watchdogs and stack appointments with loyalists, reigniting debates over democratic erosion.

Yair Lapid, the centrist opposition leader, urged citizens to join the protests in a fiery social media post: “This government does not stop at red. The only solution is unity—not silent or fake, but an entire nation saying: Enough! This is our moment, our country. Take to the streets!”

Netanyahu defended the Gaza strikes as a “campaign to pressure Hamas” after stalled talks, vowing to escalate military action while negotiating “only under fire.” The shift has sharpened public divides, with many now prioritizing the hostages’ return over prolonged conflict—a sentiment starkly absent from the war’s early days.

The protests reflect a nation wrestling with its direction, caught between security imperatives and a government facing accusations of overreach ahead of a critical budget deadline.

New York Times contributed to this article.