Something went wrong with the message #verifyErrors. Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to destroy Hamas and press ahead with a ground offensive in Rafah as thousands of protesters called for his removal. The Israeli prime minister gave a televised address to the nation on Sunday before undergoing hernia surgery and said he would do everything he could to secure the release of hostages. He said that nothing will stop them once they destroy the battalions of Hamas.
Several of Israel's allies and humanitarian groups warn of a human catastrophe if a ground offensive is launched in Rafah. In Jerusalem on Sunday, protesters gathered to urge the government to reach a deal to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The health ministry in the strip says that more than 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza by Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to raid Rafah against overwhelming international opinion, but attempts to broker another ceasefire deal have so far failed. Einav Moses, whose father-in-law is being held hostage by the government, said that after six months it seems like the government understands that Netanyahu is an obstacle. He doesn't really want to bring them back because they have failed.
The crowd of protesters stretched for blocks around the Knesset and called on the government to hold new elections. Mr Netanyahu said in his address that he would do everything to bring the hostages home. He said that new elections would cause Israel to be paralysed for six to eight months, and that the hostage talks would be frozen. Two Palestinians were killed and 15 other people were wounded when an Israeli airstrike hit a tent camp in the courtyard of a crowded hospital in central Gaza. The AP reporter filmed the aftermath of the strike at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Many people have sought shelter in Gaza's hospitals, believing them to be safe from airstrikes. Israeli troops have been raiding Gaza's largest hospital for nearly two weeks and say they have killed scores of Hamas fighters. Doctors say they are often forced to operate without vital supplies.