ALBAWABA - On Friday, Israeli citizens confronted and expelled National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from a beach in Tel Aviv, accusing him of being responsible for the deaths of captives in Gaza.
A video circulating on social media shows Ben-Gvir arriving at the beach with his family, only to be met with angry protesters. One individual is heard shouting, "You're a murderer, a terrorist. Because of you, hostages in Gaza are dying. How dare you walk on this beach?"
The confrontation escalated when a protester threw sand at Ben-Gvir. According to the "Walla" news outlet, the woman was later arrested by security forces.
In response to the incident, Ben-Gvir took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating, "I came to the Tel Aviv beach with my family for a few hours, and a small group of left-wing demonstrators started shouting at me, telling me to leave. That's their right, it's freedom of speech, but the beach doesn't belong to them."
He continued, "I appreciate the decisive actions of the police and security who arrested a woman who threw sand at me and endangered my children. Violence is a red line."
The protests come amid ongoing indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, with mediation by Egypt and Qatar, to reach a ceasefire and facilitate a prisoner exchange. However, these efforts have been fraught with challenges, and far-right ministers like Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have threatened to topple the government if it agrees to a truce.
Since the war began on October 7, Israel has carried out a sustained military campaign against Gaza, resulting in over 135,000 Palestinian casualties, many of whom are women and children, with tens of thousands missing. The humanitarian crisis continues to escalate, with widespread destruction and famine claiming more lives daily.
