As "Israel" grapples with significant casualties among its soldiers in Gaza, the existing deep-seated divisions among its top officials are widening further. The Israeli occupation's opposition leader, Yair Lapid, criticized the government for failing to reach a new captive deal and for attacking the families of the Israeli captives.

“One after the other, the ministers of the government go on air this morning and attack the families of the hostages,” Lapid said in a post on X.

“You are out of your minds.....For half a year, you failed to bring them home, and then you blame their families? This government of destruction must go home. Elections now,” he added.

Earlier today, several coalition lawmakers appeared on television to bash the demonstrators following the weekly protests in "Tel Aviv" by the families of the captives and their supporters. These demonstrations reportedly took a dramatic turn last night when speakers urged attendees to join anti-government protests in the city center.

Later today, the protesters plan to erect tents for an open demonstration outside the Knesset, where Lapid is scheduled to speak at tonight's rally.

Israeli police crackdown on protesters

Large-scale protests erupted in "Tel Aviv" on Saturday evening, drawing tens of thousands of Israeli settlers, who gathered to apply pressure on the government.

The protesters aimed to compel the government to expedite the negotiation of a deal with Hamas and to advocate for the scheduling of early elections. 

Israeli police violently cracked down on the protesters, arresting more than a dozen. They also deployed water cannons to disperse demonstrators.

Similar clashes were observed in occupied al-Quds, where approximately 200 protesters rallied near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence. The protests were considered one of the largest since October 7.

Netanyahu in a pickle

At "Hostages Square", the atmosphere shifted as the families of the Israeli captives lashed out at Israeli occupation's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership. This marked a departure from the usual tone of rallies organized by the "Hostages and Missing Families Forum", where speakers had previously refrained from openly condemning the government.

One of the relatives of an Israeli captive said, as reported by The Times of Israel, “Prime Minister Netanyahu, after you abandoned our families on October 7, and after 176 days when you didn’t bring a deal [for their return], and because you are continually engaged in torpedoing a deal, we have realized that you are the obstacle to the deal. You are the obstacle. You are the one who stands between us and the return home of our loved ones.” 

“From now,” she vowed, “we will work to immediately replace you. We have concluded that that is the fastest way to bring a deal… We will demonstrate and demand your ouster. We will publicly hound you.”

Read more: Israeli captives' families slam Netanyahu, say White House acts better