Tel Aviv’s central square turned into a sea of people on Sunday night as hundreds of thousands gathered to demand the government end the war in Gaza and secure the return of hostages.
Organizers said the rally, one of the largest since the war erupted nearly two years ago, drew more than half a million participants, while an estimated one million joined protests across Israel throughout the day.
The mass demonstrations were staged in response to the government’s decision earlier this month to press ahead with the capture of Gaza City, a step security chiefs have cautioned could place hostages in even greater danger.
Major protests were also reported in Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba and several smaller cities, where demonstrators blocked highways and intersections while calling for an agreement to halt the fighting.
Police said at least 38 people were arrested before the evening rally, as activists clashed with officers while blocking roads. Following the Tel Aviv gathering, six more were detained after protesters shut down the Ayalon Highway and scuffled with police. All roads were later reopened to traffic.
The mass day of civil disobedience coincided with a nationwide strike that drew participation from hundreds of municipalities, universities, businesses, and tech firms. Israel’s main labor federation, the Histadrut, however, opted not to join the action.
The protests were triggered by the cabinet’s recent decision to push forward with the conquest of Gaza City — a move senior security officials have warned could put the remaining hostages in greater danger.
Nationwide strike ‘delays hostage release,’ says Netanyahu
As protesters across Israel blocked roads on Sunday demanding an end to the war and a deal to free hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued that the nationwide strike was undermining efforts to reach a ceasefire with Hamas.
His comments drew swift condemnation from hostage families, who accused him of misleading the public.
“Those who call today for ending the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas’s position and distancing the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the atrocities of October 7 will repeat themselves again and again, and that our sons and daughters will have to fight again and again in an endless war,” Netanyahu said at the opening of his weekly cabinet meeting.
Netanyahu added that, “To make progress on the release of our hostages and to ensure that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel, we must complete the mission and defeat Hamas.” The remarks, released by the Prime Minister’s Office, underscored his commitment to the government’s recent decision to authorize the Israel Defense Forces to seize Gaza City — a move that directly spurred Sunday’s nationwide strike.
The strike was spearheaded by the October Council, a group representing families of hostages, survivors of the October 7 attacks, and relatives of those killed. The organization has demanded an end to the war in Gaza, the immediate return of hostages, and accountability from Israel’s leadership for failing to prevent the Hamas-led assault.
Netanyahu averred that Hamas continues to refuse Israel’s conditions for an end to the war in Gaza: “We insist not only that Hamas be disarmed, but also that Israel enforce the demilitarization of the Strip over time through continuous action against any attempt at rearmament or organization by any terror group.”
He stressed that Hamas wants Israel to exit Gaza entirely, including leaving the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border and the security perimeter around Gaza.
One of the hostages released video on Aug 17, 2025
Hostages Still in Gaza
Fifty hostages remain in captivity in Gaza: 49 of the 251 abducted during Hamas’s October 7 assault and the body of an Israeli soldier killed in 2014. Officials say 28 are dead, 20 are believed alive, and the fate of two others remains uncertain.
Israel has secured the release of hostages in previous deals. In November 2023, Hamas freed 105 people under a temporary ceasefire, followed by another 30 released in January and February 2025 along with the bodies of eight slain captives. Five hostages have been freed independently of those deals, while Israeli forces have rescued eight others. The remains of 49 captives have also been recovered from Gaza since the war began.
