United News of Bangladesh

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called for restraint following the death of an ultra-Orthodox teenage boy who was killed after being run over by a bus during a protest against plans to draft members of the community into the military. In a statement, Netanyahu urged people to avoid further escalation, warning against additional tragedies, and said authorities would fully investigate the incident. The fatal incident occurred Tuesday evening during a demonstration involving thousands of ultra-Orthodox protesters. The victim, identified by police as 14-year-old yeshiva student Yosef Eisenthal, was seen in video footage obtained by The Associated Press trapped beneath the bus as it continued moving several meters amid chaos and screams from the crowd. Read More: Israel hits multiple targets in Lebanon ahead of key Hezbollah disarmament talks Police detained and questioned the bus driver, who claimed he was assaulted by protesters before the vehicle struck the boy. Authorities said Wednesday that the driver’s detention has been extended until January 15, though no formal charges have yet been filed. According to police, demonstrators had blocked the roadway and acted aggressively toward officers, throwing eggs and other objects during the protest. The incident highlights rising tensions between Israeli authorities and the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, community as the government considers measures to end long-standing exemptions that allow them to avoid compulsory military service. At Israel’s founding in 1948, draft exemptions were granted to a small number of elite ultra-Orthodox scholars. Over time, those exemptions expanded significantly due to pressure from influential religious political parties. Read More: Iran executes man convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad Many secular Israelis support curtailing the exemptions, particularly those who have served repeated military tours during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Efforts to draft ultra-Orthodox men have faced strong resistance from religious groups, who argue that military service threatens their religious way of life. Protests have at times turned violent, complicating the issue for Netanyahu, whose government depends on the backing of religious parties in parliament.