Blowing foghorns and beating drums, thousands of Israelis on Wednesday took over the winding Jerusalem street outside the prime minister's residence to protest what they see as Benjamin Netanyahu's bid to weaken democracy.

"We've all been taken hostage by the government of blood," some chanted.

Others called for the long-serving Netanyahu to stand down, yelling: "You're the head, you're to blame for this catastrophe" -- a reference to the failure to prevent Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which led to full-blown war in Gaza.

On Tuesday, Israel launched a series of deadly air strikes on the Palestinian territory after a nearly two-month ceasefire that largely halted violence and saw the handover of 33 Israeli hostages seized during the Hamas attack.

Among the banners held by protesters in Jerusalem were many calling on the government to end the war and return the hostages, with some reading: "We are all hostages."

Some relatives of the hostages still being held in Gaza also joined the........

© Al Monitor