Thousands of activists gathered Saturday evening in many Israeli cities demanding early elections and an immediate deal for the release of Israeli hostages who have been held in the Gaza Strip for almost nine months, with the largest protest traditionally taking place in the center of Tel Aviv.
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The protests come amid a lack of progress in negotiations to reach a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages and threats of a full-scale war with Lebanon. Massive anti-government protests are taking place in major cities and centers from Eilat in the very south of Israel to the northern regions, which are subject to daily shelling from the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah.
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The protest, which has become a weekly event, takes place in the center of Tel Aviv near a complex of government buildings, where, in particular, the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense is located. Ambulance crews and a large police force are on the scene, blocking traffic in the city center and setting up barriers to prevent possible unrest and blocking of neighboring highways, which has happened several times in recent weeks.
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Demonstrators traditionally wave national flags, shout anti-government slogans, beat drums and hold photographs of hostages. The protest action was coordinated with the police and so far is taking place without disturbing public order.
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On the other side of the complex of government buildings, in the so-called “Hostage Square,” another mass action is taking place, which is organized weekly by the Forum of Hostage Families, an Israeli public organization involved in accompanying and supporting the families of hostages abducted by the radical Palestinian movement Hamas on October 7, 2023.
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Noa Argamani, a young Israeli woman who was among the four hostages rescued by Israeli special forces who were freed in early June during a special operation, addressed the activists via video link.
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“I’m home now, but we cannot forget about the hostages who are still being held captive by Hamas, and we must do everything possible to bring them home,” Noah said.
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During the eight months of war in the Gaza Strip, this square opposite the Tel Aviv Museum of Art has become a symbolic memorial where people come to support the families of the hostages. The square features various installations related to the hope for the release of the hostages remaining in the Palestinian enclave. Every week, families of hostages and previously rescued hostages protest in this square, demanding that the authorities do everything possible to free their loved ones.
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The demonstrations come amid a lack of progress in negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages, which resumed after US President Joe Biden announced a new plan to end hostilities in late May. Israel’s and Hamas’ demands for a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave are radically different, as the leadership of the Jewish state regularly states at all levels that the war will not end until Hamas is eliminated as a military and political structure. Hamas is ready to discuss the release of hostages only if there are guarantees that Israel will completely withdraw the army from the Palestinian enclave and cease hostilities.
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According to Israeli officials, 120 hostages are still being held in the Palestinian enclave, of which more than 40 are considered dead. During various operations and humanitarian efforts, 135 hostages were freed from Hamas captivity, a figure that includes the dead hostages whose bodies were removed from the enclave.
