Protesters tried to break into Netanyahu's residence, 3 hospitalized, 9 arrested

YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered Monday in front of the Knesset for a demonstration urging early elections and a deal with Hamas to secure the release of the hostages held in Gaza, The Times of Israel reports.

Many of the demonstrators then marched toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home where violent clashes broke out with police, with at least three people requiring hospitalization.

לא להאמין שזה קורה שוב:
רופאה מתנדבת שלבשה וסט של אנשי צוות רפואי בהפגנה מול מעון נתניהו ברחוב עזה - הוטחה לכביש בחוזקה עקב פגיעה בכינון ישיר ממכת״זית, ונפגעה בעינה עם חשש לפגיעה בראיה!
היא מועברת כעת לקבלת טיפול רפואי בשיבא.

נגיד זאת שוב: מכת״זית היא פשוט כלי נשק, ואסור להפעיל… pic.twitter.com/9XVd2uwb8a

— Nava Rozolyo נאווה רוזוליו (@rozolyo) June 17, 2024

Police said they had allowed the demonstration to unfold until some of the participants sought to break through crowd control fences set up around the perimeter of Netanyahu’s residence. At least nine were arrested, according to police.

Protest organizers accused police of using excessive force, again employing a water cannon against protesters outside Netanyahu’s home.

According to the report, there was also a chant about Netanyahu’s “guilt” over the failures of October 7 and another with a demand for new elections.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said elections should not be held while the war in Gaza is still ongoing. The next general elections are formally scheduled for October 2026.

Since the attack by Hamas, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and foreigners in Israeli communities, Israel's military campaign has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health ministry figures. Around 250 people were taken hostage by Hamas. Some 120 hostages are still in Gaza.