Unrest in Israel: Protests, Politics, and Power Plays

Israel is buzzing with activity, both on the streets and in the political arena. Protests are popping up all over the country, with the biggest one happening in Tel Aviv. Families of victims from the October 7 attack and soldiers who fought in Gaza are leading the charge, demanding answers and accountability. They want a state commission to look into what went wrong before the Hamas attack. Meanwhile, in Haifa, protests are back on after the mayor changed his mind about stopping them. Other cities are also seeing rallies against the government. At the same time, people are calling for the return of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage in Gaza. Over in Lebanon, the prime minister says the first phase of a plan to take weapons from Hezbollah, near the border with Israel, is almost done. This is part of a U. S. -backed cease-fire deal.The U. S. has been busy too. They launched airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria and proposed a huge plan called "Project Sunrise" to rebuild Gaza. This plan costs $112. 1 billion and would take 20 years, with the U. S. paying for 20% of it. Turkey, the U. S. , Qatar, and Egypt met to talk about the next steps for the Israel-Gaza cease-fire. They want Gaza to be governed by locals and are working on setting up a Board of Peace. Germany might ban more Hamas symbols, and Iran executed someone they say was spying for Israel. Back in Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing pressure. He's trying to stop his corruption trial, but it's not working. He's also pushing extreme legislation and threatening judges and prosecutors. As the election gets closer, things are heating up.