Protests spread in Tel Aviv against Netanyahu

Tel Aviv, September 4 (RHC)-- Anger is rising in Tel Aviv amid the failed Gaza truce talks, with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing mounting domestic and international pressure after the killing of six captives in Israeli attacks.   And U.S. President Joe Biden now says Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure the release of captives.

Despite international pressure and mass protests in the occupied territories calling for a deal to secure the return of Israeli captives held in Gaza, Netanyahu refuses to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, which is a major obstacle to a ceasefire deal being reached.

“This is the oxygen of Hamas,” he said on Monday, adding: “No one is more committed to freeing the hostages than me … No one will preach to me on this issue.”

The Israeli opposition has slammed Netanyahu for blocking a truce deal with his insistence on continued Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor and central Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor.   The opposition blasted Netanyahu's comments that Philadelphi is essential for Israel to achieve its war aims as “baseless political spin”, saying that Netanyahu had years to retake the corridor and didn’t bother, and only sent the Israel troopers to do so eight months into the current war.

Netanyahu's remarks came as angry protests took place in the occupied territories after Israeli forces recovered the corpses of six captives at the weekend.