Last week, Dor Eilon held a poster of an emaciated Gazan child for the first time at a protest against the war in Tel Aviv. The 29-year-old lawyer stood silently with dozens of other Israelis holding similar pictures under the summer heat.

"Ignoring what is happening is immoral," she said. Eilon began participating in demonstrations to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas months ago, but now feels compelled to highlight the plight of Gazans.

Protesters in Tel Aviv block a street to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. Photo: WSJ

Protesters in Tel Aviv block a street to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. Photo: WSJ

In recent weeks, a growing number of Israelis, including prominent figures, have spoken out against the conflict and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Former leaders, military commanders, and officials from Mossad, the Shin Bet internal security agency, and the police force have urged the government to end the campaign against Hamas. They argue that the operation, initially justified as a response to the October 7, 2023 incursion into Israel, has become pointless.

Opinion polls in Israel have shown for months that most citizens, including those on the right, want the government to end the conflict so that hostages can return. However, the dire situation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza are fueling further dissent and increasing Israel's international isolation.

Nightly news broadcasts in Israel are increasingly covering the suffering in Gaza. Images of Gazans killed in the fighting are appearing more frequently in public spaces and at protests. Over 1,000 leading Israeli artists caused a stir on August 3rd when they signed a petition demanding an end to the killing of children and civilians in Gaza. According to regional health authorities, many of the 60,000 people killed in the conflict are minors.

Leaders of top Israeli universities have called on the government to focus on ensuring adequate food supplies reach Gaza. Renowned Israeli novelist David Grossman and a former deputy director of Mossad have gone so far as to call what is happening in Gaza "genocide."

Analysts suggest the growing opposition to the Gaza conflict stems partly from skepticism about the government's ability to achieve its goal of eliminating Hamas and freeing the hostages after nearly two years of fighting.

Although significantly weakened, Hamas retains its capacity for guerrilla warfare. The group is believed to be holding 20 Israeli hostages. Cease-fire negotiations remain stalled, and many Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the conflict for his own political gain, a charge he denies.

Dor Eilon protests in Tel Aviv on 31/7. Photo: WSJ

Dor Eilon protests in Tel Aviv on 31/7. Photo: WSJ

"In the face of what is happening, it is essential to speak out, to give voice to humanitarian values and compassion," said Eyal Sher, who helped gather the signatures of over 1,000 Israeli artists and musicians for a recent petition to the government.

Polls indicate that concern for the suffering of Gazans remains largely confined to the left and center, according to Tamar Hermann, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem.

A recent survey by the Institute conducted late last month found that 79% of Israeli Jews are not particularly bothered by the famine or suffering in Gaza.

A breakdown of the results reveals a stark political divide. 70% of left-wing Israeli Jews and 32% of those in the center said they were concerned about reports of famine and suffering in Gaza, compared to just 6% on the right.

"There is a huge difference between the camps," Hermann said. "Their thinking is completely different."

Notably, right-wing voters, Netanyahu's base of support, remain largely unmoved. The calls for an end to the conflict have so far failed to persuade the Israeli government to change course.

However, some analysts note that the dire situation in Gaza is now being discussed, meaning the government will eventually have to confront it.

"We've gone from not seeing anything about what's happening in Gaza to open discussion; people are talking about it, even if they don't agree," observed Eran Halperin, a psychology professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. "That's a very significant shift."

Previously, graphic videos of Gazan casualties and reports of their suffering were largely absent from major Israeli news outlets, despite being widely circulated in international media.

This is beginning to change. After Channel 12 aired a segment on how the world was reporting on the famine in Gaza, anchor Yonit Levi shocked many by saying that negative views of Israel were not due to a failure of public diplomacy, but a "moral failure."

In recent weeks, groups have protested outside the studios of Channel 12, Israel's most popular news channel and where Levi works, calling for coverage of the suffering in Gaza. More mainstream Israeli journalists are starting to mention the Palestinians in Gaza.

"It's seismic compared to before, but also just a tiny movement when you look at the situation on the ground and how it's reported elsewhere," said Ayala Panievsky, a media scholar at the University of London.

According to Panievsky's research, out of over 700 news items broadcast on Channel 12 during the first six months of the conflict, only four mentioned civilian casualties in Gaza.

Recent weeks have also seen an increase in protests against the conflict by Arab Israelis, who make up about 20% of the population.

While Hermann's poll found that 86% of Arab Israelis are concerned or very concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, this group has remained largely silent. Their recent outspokenness is partly due to the Israeli police's crackdown on expressions of support for Gaza.

A street in Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, displays pictures of children killed in Gaza. Photo: WSJ

A street in Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, displays pictures of children killed in Gaza. Photo: WSJ

"The situation is very difficult. Everyone is afraid of the police's heavy-handedness, the arrests, interrogations, and threats against anyone who tries to show solidarity or oppose the conflict and the famine in Gaza," said Amir Badran, 53, a Jaffa city council member who helped organize a peace protest attended by dozens of Arabs and Jews on August 1st.

According to Badran, things started to change about two weeks ago, beginning with local protests, and he hopes more people will participate.

"People are exploding because they can't hold back anymore," Badran said.

Vu Hoang (WSJ, AFP, Reuters)