Thousands of Israelis join anti-government protests, demand Netanyahu's resignation

Thousands of Israeli demonstrators took to the streets to call for new elections and demand more action from the government to bring the hostages held in Gaza home, in the latest round of protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The protests have continued as the war in Gaza moves through its seventh month and amid growing anger over the government's approach to the 133 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.

"We're here to protest against this government that keeps dragging us down, month after month; before 7 October, after 7 October. We kept going down in a spiral," said Yalon Pikman, 58, who attended a march in Tel Aviv.

Surveys show that most Israelis blame Netanyahu for the security failures that led to the devastating attack by Hamas fighters on communities in southern Israel on 7 October.

Israel's longest-serving prime minister has repeatedly ruled out early elections, which opinion polls suggest he would lose, saying that to go to the polls in the middle of a war would only reward Hamas.