TEL AVIV, February 18. /TASS/. Anti-government rallies demanding early elections were held in several Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and three demonstrators were arrested in Caesarea, the police press office reported.
"During the Saturday night action, Rothschild Street in Caesarea was blocked. The protest was accompanied by insults and physical violence against local police. Three protesters were arrested," the statement said. Caesarea is the seaside residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In Tel Aviv, anti-government demonstrations resumed near the Defense Ministry compound, where participants had previously opposed legal reforms and called off after the radical Palestinian Hamas movement attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, and the war in Gaza began. "During the rally, disorderly conduct began on Kaplan Street, with demonstrators blocking traffic in both directions, throwing bottles, lighting fireworks, landing on the street and attempting to break through the police cordon," the police press office said. "After the police declared the demonstration illegal and gave the order to disperse, security forces removed the demonstrators from the road, which was open to traffic," the press office said, adding that the two troublemakers were given heavy fines.
In Jerusalem, a demonstration was held near the Prime Minister's residence. The demonstrators demanded the quick release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and that Netanyahu reverse his February 14 decision not to send an Israeli delegation to Cairo to negotiate a deal with Hamas, the Times of Israel reported.