Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced anti-government chants on Thursday, with attendees calling for his resignation during a speech at a military graduation ceremony in southern Israel.

According to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the chants erupted during Netanyahu’s address at a graduation ceremony for combat officers at the Bahad 1 military base, home to the Israeli army’s officers training school.

During his speech, Netanyahu claimed Israel was “at the height of a continuing regional war.”

He also claimed that Israel had “managed to change the rules of the game in the region, break the barrier of fear, and prove the strength of its iron grip.”

The chants came amid ongoing protests in several Israeli cities against Netanyahu’s government, with demonstrators demanding early elections and blaming his administration for failures related to the Oct. 7 2023 events and the repercussions of the war on the Gaza Strip and the wider region. (AA)