Tensions Erupt: Tragedy at Ultra-Orthodox Protest

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for calm after a bus driver killed a teenage boy during a protest against drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military. The incident heightened tensions between authorities and the ultra-Orthodox community, who strongly oppose military service citing it as a threat to their way of life.

In a tragic turn of events, a protest against the drafting of ultra-Orthodox Jews into Israel's military turned deadly when a bus driver ran over and killed a 14-year-old boy. This ignited calls for calm from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid soaring tensions.

Yeshiva student Yosef Eisenthal lost his life during the Tuesday evening demonstration. Video footage showed the bus trapping the boy underneath as it proceeded several meters, while a frantic crowd of protesters screamed for it to stop.

The incident reflects the intensifying conflict between the Israeli government and the ultra-Orthodox community, also known as Haredim, over compulsory military service. The tensions are exacerbated by political pressure from both secular Israelis and religious groups loyal to Netanyahu's governing coalition.

(With inputs from agencies.)