Massive protest in Tel Aviv as thousands rally to demand Gaza war end, hostage release

Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled Tel Aviv’s streets on Sunday evening, demanding an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages, one of the largest protests in Israel since fighting began in October 2023.

The rally capped a day of nationwide demonstrations and a general strike aimed at pressuring the government to halt its military campaign.

“Bring them all home! Stop the war!” chanted the huge crowd gathered in “Hostage Square”, a plaza that has become the focal point for protests throughout the war.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, which organised the day of action, estimated that around 500,000 people joined the evening rally in Tel Aviv — though police did not confirm the figure.

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“We demand a comprehensive and achievable agreement and an end to the war. We demand what is rightfully ours — our children,” said Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan and a leading figure in the protest movement. “The Israeli government has transformed a just war into a pointless war,” she told the crowd.

National media broadcast a video message by her son, filmed by Hamas and later recovered by the Israeli army in Gaza. Looking weak and emaciated, he told his family he missed them.

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The protests came days after Israel’s security cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, 22 months into a war that has plunged the territory into a deep humanitarian crisis.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum vowed that demonstrators would “shut down the country” until the government secured the hostages’ release and ended the war.

Across Israel, protesters blocked highways, burned tyres and clashed with police. Authorities said more than 30 were arrested. In other areas, daily life continued largely undisturbed. In Jerusalem’s main shopping district, businesses stayed open. “Everyone is helping the way they can,” said a shop assistant, who declined to give her name.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the protests, arguing they “not only harden Hamas’s position and draw out the release of our hostages, but also ensure that the horrors of October 7 will reoccur”.

Mediators, led by Egypt, have been pushing for a 60-day truce that would include hostage releases, after previous talks in Qatar collapsed.

The conflict began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing 1,219 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Israel says 49 captives remain in Gaza, including 27 confirmed dead.

Israel’s offensive has since killed more than 61,944 Palestinians, the majority civilians, according to figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, which the UN deems reliable.