Tens of Thousands Rally in Israel Demanding Hostage Release DealTel Aviv

Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in mass demonstrations across the country, calling for a deal to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. The protests come in response to the recent recovery of six hostages’ bodies by Israeli soldiers from the Gaza Strip.Demonstrators, many waving Israeli flags, have gathered in major cities including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, demanding action from the government to secure the release of the remaining hostages abducted during the October 7 attacks by Hamas. The protests have intensified following a call for a nationwide general strike by the major Israeli labor union, Histadrut, scheduled for Monday.

Sunday’s protests were largely peaceful, though some participants breached police lines, blocking a major highway in Tel Aviv. Protesters chanted slogans such as “policemen, policemen, who are you protecting” and “shame, shame,” and set fires on the Ayalon Highway while displaying yellow ribbons as a symbol of solidarity with the hostages.

One demonstrator, Noga Burkman, expressed her frustration, saying, “People understand that now we need to break the rules and do something,” and added that “tonight is just the beginning.”

The protests saw a diverse mix of participants, including young scouts leading chants and individuals climbing buses for better visibility. Some demonstrators surrounded a person wearing a mask of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, chanting “Alive, alive, we want them alive,” while others carried signs accusing the prime minister of negligence.

In Jerusalem, a large crowd gathered outside the prime minister’s office to voice their demands. A 50-year-old protester described the scale of the demonstrations as unprecedented, stating, “It’s a totally different game today. A different scale to anything before.”

Among those participating in the Tel Aviv protests was 24-year-old Yotam Peer, whose 21-year-old brother was killed in the October 7 attacks. Peer emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “After we heard about the six hostages, we couldn’t be silent any more. It’s really important. We don’t have a choice any more.”

Opposition leader Yair Lapid, former prime minister and leader of the Yesh Atid party, also joined the protests, supporting the call for a general strike to pressure Netanyahu into negotiating a deal for the hostages’ release.

Histadrut union leader Arnon Bar-David highlighted the significance of reaching a deal, saying, “A deal is more important than anything else,” and criticized the government for failing to act, stating, “We are getting body bags instead of a deal.”

The Hostages Families Forum has condemned the delay in negotiations, attributing the deaths of the recovered hostages to the prolonged lack of a deal. The forum claimed that the hostages endured nearly 11 months of abuse, torture, and starvation before their deaths.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has pledged to secure a deal to release the remaining captives while maintaining national security. However, he asserted, “Whoever murders hostages does not want a deal.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the general strike, accusing it of serving Hamas’s interests. In contrast, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai supported the strike, allowing municipal workers to join as a gesture of solidarity with the hostages and their families.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced the recovery of the six hostages’ bodies, identified as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master Sgt. Ori Danino, from an underground tunnel in Rafah, southern Gaza. The exact number of hostages still held by Hamas remains unclear. Hamas had initially kidnapped 251 individuals and killed 1,200 others in the October 7 attacks. In response, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza, where more than 40,530 people have been killed since the conflict’s escalation.