Netanyahu slammed for attending son's henna party amid Gaza war

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been on the receiving end of sharp criticism after footage circulated showing him attending his son’s pre-wedding party, shortly after news broke that an Israeli soldier was killed in Gaza amid the ongoing war.

Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, were both seen at the lavish celebration in central Israel, despite earlier claims that he would not attend amid widespread protests from anti-government demonstrators.

The condemnation comes after the Prime Minister's Office said that he had cancelled his planned attendance at a Mimouna party, which marked the end of the Passover holiday. However, many pointed out that the Mimouna and henna pre-wedding celebration were the same event.

Footage shows Netanyahu and Sara sitting on the gold throne-design couch with their son Avner and his fiancée, as guests in the venue clap and cheer for them, offering their congratulations.

Dozens of police were stationed in the Mazor area, where the event took place, with roads closed to prevent protesters from blocking off access to the community, Israeli media reported.

Various reports also stated Netanyahu responded to comments saying, "nothing will stop me from attending my son's henna celebration and giving him and his fiancée my blessing".

Many pointed out that the party came just days after an Israeli soldier in Gaza was killed and five others were wounded, three of them seriously, in the north of the Strip.

The soldier was identified as Warrant Officer G’haleb Sliman Alnasasra, 35, a tracker in the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade.

The soldier was the first to be killed in the Strip by Hamas since Israel shattered the ceasefire agreement and resumed the war on 18 March.

Last week, around 1,000 Israeli protesters marched to Netanyahu’s private residence, calling on him to return the 59 captives held in Gaza and stop putting his political career are personal agenda first.

Many slammed him for refusing to sign a ceasefire deal, despite Hamas stating multiple times they would free all the captives in return for a complete end to the war and for Israel to fully withdraw.

"The end of the war will force you to stand trial for your traitorous deeds toward our country, and that’s why you’re violating agreements to save lives," one protester said, according to Israeli media.

The protests come as Israel continues its relentless war on the besieged Gaza Strip, with over 61,700 Palestinians killed since October 2023, Gaza’s government media office states.

The war has plunged the Strip into a deep humanitarian crisis and levelled entire neighbourhoods, while much of the population has been displaced.

Rights groups have repeatedly warned against Israeli bombing, highlighting that it has put much of the population as well as captives at risk.