Protesters, including hostage families, stage protest outside Israeli government headquarters in Jerusalem
Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in several cities, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, on Thursday evening to demand a hostage deal with Palestinian groups to secure the release of captives held in the Gaza Strip.
Families of the hostages and supporters organized a protest outside the Israeli government headquarters in Jerusalem, coinciding with a ministerial meeting, according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
The meeting focused on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for the full reoccupation of Gaza, which Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir described as a “strategic trap.” Military leaders warned that moving forward with the plan could result in the deaths of the hostages.
Protesters in Jerusalem held photos of their loved ones held in Gaza, including those who are alive.
In Tel Aviv, thousands of Israelis amassed outside the headquarters of Netanyahu's Likud Party to pressure him into negotiating a hostage deal.
Other demonstrations took place in Haifa and the Negev, where protesters also called for a deal to bring the hostages home.
Tel Aviv estimates that 50 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive. Meanwhile, Israel is holding more than 10,800 Palestinian detainees, many of whom face torture, starvation, and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups.
Hamas has repeatedly affirmed its readiness to release all Israeli hostages “in one batch” in exchange for an end to Israel’s genocidal war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Israel has been facing mounting outrage over its destructive war on Gaza, where more than 61,200 people have been killed since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
