Gaza, Sep 08 (V7N) - Large numbers of Israelis again took to the streets to protest the government's failure to secure the return of remaining hostages in Gaza. This demonstration follows a significant protest last week, triggered by the discovery of six dead hostages in Gaza, and comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resists calls for a cease-fire, asserting his stance against external pressures.
 
One protester in Tel Aviv, Efrat Machikawa, niece of hostage Gadi Moses, emphasized the urgency of a deal to bring back the hostages, stating, "Our collective voice must demand action to secure their return. We should not risk their lives."
 
Despite mounting pressure from the United States and other allies for a cease-fire, Netanyahu remains firm on maintaining Israeli control of the Philadelphi corridor, a strategic area along Gaza's border with Egypt, which Israel believes is used for smuggling weapons—a claim denied by Egypt and Hamas.
 
In Gaza, health workers are wrapping up a critical polio vaccination campaign aimed at preventing an outbreak following the region's first polio case in 25 years. The campaign targets 640,000 children amid a severely damaged health care system.
 
The Israeli military offensive continues. In central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, air raids resulted in at least nine deaths, with additional casualties reported in other strikes across the territory. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital also reported fatalities in the Bureij refugee camp.
 
In northern Gaza, an airstrike on a school-turned-shelter killed at least four people and injured around two dozen, with Israel claiming it targeted a Hamas command post.
 
The ongoing conflict began on October 7, when Hamas and other militants attacked Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The retaliatory Israeli offensive in Gaza has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths and more than 94,000 injuries, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
 
In the West Bank, violence has surged. A recent military operation in Jenin resulted in numerous deaths, and an American protester, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, was shot and killed during a demonstration. Eygi's family has called for an independent investigation into her death, criticizing the adequacy of an Israeli inquiry.
 
The White House has expressed deep concern and urged Israel to investigate the incident. The Israeli military is reviewing reports related to the shooting of the foreign national.
 
Additionally, clashes continue along the Israel-Lebanon border. An Israeli drone strike on a Lebanese Civil Defense team killed three volunteers and injured two others. The Israeli military reported that its jets targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and rocket launchers in southern Lebanon following rocket fire into northern Israel.
 
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