Anti-government rallies erupted in several cities across Israel this weekend, with tens of thousands of Israelis demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu find a path to a deal with terror group Hamas to free more than 100 hostages still held in Gaza.
Despite urgent security warnings and the threat of a possible strike from Iran, large crowds gathered at Begin Gate in Tel Aviv on Saturday to support the families of the hostages and to call for their release from captivity. Protest organizers reported that demonstrators waved Israeli flags and held up signs with images of the hostages.
At the Begin Gate of the Kirya IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, protestors chanted, “We’re not letting up; release the hostages,” and “Stop the death, stop the bereavement, human lives above all!” Some protestors stood surrounded by barricades, symbolizing the hostages who are reported to have been kept in cages.
The demonstrations were notable for taking place despite the tense security situation following the unclaimed assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday. Some form of military retaliation has been widely expected in the region.
According to Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, there are currently 115 hostages, both living and deceased, being held in Gaza. Of that number, 111 were taken during the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which killed over 1,200 people.
Israel’s ensuing military offensive in the isolated Palestinian enclave has resulted in the deaths of nearly 40,000 Palestinians and displaced nearly 2 million, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health and the United Nations.
As the situation remains volatile, the Israeli public continues to call for a resolution that prioritizes the safe return of the hostages while navigating the complex security challenges facing the nation.
