Thousands of academics and military personnel join protest petition against Netanyahu

According to the Israeli Channel 12, the wave of protests by academic elites against the Israeli cabinet's military policies in Gaza has entered a new phase.

According to the report, about 2,000 members of the academic staff of higher education institutions signed a protest petition calling for an immediate halt to military operations and reaching an agreement to release the prisoners.

A statement issued by the group of academics, states: "A political agreement is the only way to save the prisoners, and military pressure increases the risk of their death."

Meanwhile, the Israeli Channel 13 also reported that hundreds of members of the Israeli intelligence unit 8200 have joined the petition.

Unit 8200 is one of the most important intelligence agencies of the Israeli army, and joining of its members to the protests is also a sign of escalating differences within the military.

Earlier, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper announced that dozens of Israeli doctors serving as reservists had signed a letter calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the immediate return of prisoners.

The protests against Netanyahu intensified after the publication of a petition by a group of Israeli Air Force reserve personnel and pilots calling for an end to the war against the Gaza Strip and the return of Israeli prisoners from the region, causing controversy and tension within the army and political institutions of the regime.

The signatories of the petition considered the ongoing war to be devoid of security interests and announced that this war is now continuing solely in line with the political and personal goals of some ruling figures, including Benjamin Netanyahu.

These protests, along with widespread public discontent and divisions within the security establishment, have increased the pressure on the Israeli Prime Minister to change course or end the war to an unprecedented level.

The widespread public protests against Netanyahu's cabinet, which began long ago following his efforts to weaken the Israeli judicial system, have taken on new dimensions as the war in Gaza continues. The families of the prisoners have repeatedly called for an immediate end to the war and the return of the prisoners in the media and at protest rallies, while Netanyahu and his inner circle insist on continuing the military operation.

Disagreements have also become public at the security establishment level. Reports have been published that some army commanders and members of the internal intelligence service (Shabak) oppose continuing the war without a specific plan for the "day after Hamas." These tensions have even extended to the war cabinet, and the gap between extremist ministers and security officials has widened.

Meanwhile, figures such as Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, Amos Yadlin, and many other former politicians and generals have repeatedly held the current prime minister directly responsible for the current critical and unprecedented situation by publishing harsh statements, articles, and interviews.

These criticisms show that the crisis of political legitimacy and deep distrust in Netanyahu's leadership has reached a dangerous stage, not only among public opinion but also within the governing body of the Zionist regime.