Tel Aviv: The war between Israel and Hamas continues. Meanwhile, opposition to the war is now being seen in Israel itself. On the completion of 9 months since the war started in Gaza, protesters in Israel blocked highways and railway stations across the country. The protesters protested fiercely, demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down. The protesters called for a ceasefire so that the people held hostage by Hamas could be brought back. These protests took place at a time when international mediators have started fresh efforts for a settlement.

The war continued

During the protests, protesters blocked main roads and demonstrated outside the homes of members of the Israeli Parliament. Meanwhile, fighting continued in Gaza, and by early Sunday morning 13 Palestinian civilians were killed in Israeli attacks. Six Palestinians were killed when a house was hit in the town of Jawaida in central Gaza, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Four people were killed in an attack on a shelter in a school in Gaza City, officials said.

Israeli airstrikes

The Gaza Strip’s Hamas-linked civil defense organization said another Israeli airstrike hit a house west of Gaza City early Sunday, killing three people. The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas militants and had taken “numerous steps” to protect civilians. Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said early Sunday it fired several projectiles toward northern Israel, targeting areas more than 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border.

What’s going on?

Egyptian and Hamas officials told The Associated Press that Hamas had dropped a key demand for an Israeli commitment to ending the war. This could halt fighting for the first time since November and set the stage for further talks.