The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has ordered a return to war in Gaza, thus breaking the ceasefire that had been in place for two months with Hamas. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz have instructed the Israel Defense Forces to act forcefully against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Massive attacks are being carried out against terrorist targets in Gaza, both in the north and south, according to the Israeli Army.
The bombings have resulted in the deaths of at least 200 people, according to the Gazan government, marking Israel's breaking of the ceasefire nearly two months after the truce began in January. These attacks occurred shortly after an Israeli delegation sent to Cairo to negotiate the truce returned to Israel. Meanwhile, Israel is experiencing an internal crisis following Netanyahu's announcement of the dismissal of the head of the internal intelligence service, Ronen Bar.
Amid criticism from the opposition and the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, regarding the legality and potential conflicts of interest that Bar's dismissal could entail, a vote has been scheduled to oust him. Despite the Attorney General's warnings about the need to review the legal foundations of the decision, the vote has been moved up to today. The Shin Bet, the intelligence service, is investigating former advisors to Netanyahu over the 'Qatargate' scandal, linking them to possible financial ties with a Gulf country.
In light of this situation, protests have been called in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, scheduled for this Tuesday. The protests remain in place despite the recent events in the country. Netanyahu faces both an escalation of violence in Gaza and an internal crisis over the dismissal of the intelligence chief, generating discontent among various sectors of Israeli society.
