Demonstrators waved flags, held hostage photos and beat drums at rallies across the country. Some blocked roads, including the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. By 2 p.m. (11 a.m. GMT), police said they had detained 38 people as scuffles broke out while officers cleared protesters. A major rally was planned in Tel Aviv for the evening.
Hundreds of thousands gathered at Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square after a day of nationwide protests and a general strike, chanting “Bring them all home! Stop the war!” The Hostage and Missing Families Forum said about 500,000 people joined—figures not confirmed by police.
Netanyahu told the cabinet that calls to end the war without defeating Hamas harden the group’s stance, delay hostage releases and risk a repeat of the October 7 attack. He said his right-wing government is determined to implement a decision for the military to seize Gaza City, one of the last major areas outside Israeli control.
That plan is widely unpopular among Israelis and many hostage families, who fear an expanded campaign could endanger loved ones still held in Gaza. There are 50 hostages in the enclave, of whom Israeli officials believe about 20 are alive.
“There is no time – not for the lives wasting away in hell, nor for the fallen who may vanish in the ruins of Gaza,” the Hostages Families Forum said.
After nearly two years of war, most releases so far have come through diplomacy. Ceasefire talks collapsed in July. Hamas says it will free remaining hostages only if Israel ends the war; Netanyahu says Hamas cannot stay in power. Israel has faced sharp criticism at home and from some European allies over the Gaza City plan. Hamas called it criminal and said it would force the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
Local health officials in Gaza say more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 29 in the past day. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken into Gaza during Hamas’ attack on Israel; over 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since then.
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Source: BBC, Reuters, The Guardian