Israel sees huge protests over Gaza war, Hamas hostages
The demonstrations amounted to one of the largest the country has seen since the start of the war in October 2023. They come amid growing frustration in Israel over the government's plans to expand military operations in some of Gaza's most crowded areas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he opposes any deal that leaves Hamas in power. But many Israelis fear a new military offensive in Gaza could endanger the 50 remaining hostages, 20 of whom are believed still to be alive.
The protests on Sunday were organized by groups representing families of hostages.
Demonstrations took place at dozens of locations throughout Israel, including at politicians' homes, at military headquarters and on major highways, where protesters blocked several lanes and lit bonfires.
'The only way to bring (hostages) back is through a deal, all at once, without games,' former hostage Arbel Yehoud, whose boyfriend Ariel Cunio is still held by Hamas, said at a protest in Tel Aviv.
The day of action culminated in a rally in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said more than 400,000 people gathered in the rally, according to multiple reports.
Israeli police said they arrested 38 people on Sunday.
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NBC News
29 minutes ago
- NBC News
Hundreds of thousands protest Gaza war as frustration grows in Israel about new offensive
TEL AVIV — In the plaza that Israelis have christened 'Hostage Square, ' hundreds of thousands of people banged drums, shouted slogans and booed mentions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others in his right-wing government. Some held pictures of those still in captivity in Gaza, others vented their frustration over plans for a new military offensive in some of the enclave's most populated area s that many Israelis fear could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages, 20 to 50 of whom are believed to be alive. Among the demonstrators at Sunday's protest was Ruby Chen, the father of Itay Chen, an Israeli American soldier who was among the 1,200 killed in the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and whose body remains in Gaza. 'The Jewish Bible speaks about the Jewish life,' Chen told NBC News. 'Life comes before revenge, and that is exactly what we are asking for this government to remember.' The protest in Tel Aviv on Sunday was one of dozens organized nationwide, including outside of politicians' homes, at military headquarters and on major highways. Demonstrators blocked lanes and lit bonfires. Some restaurants and theaters closed in solidarity. Police said they arrested 38 people. The nationwide marches were on the same day as a general strike called by organizations representing relatives of those still in captivity. One of those groups, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, said in a statement that nearly 1 million people had attended rallies nationwide. In Hostage Square, the boisterous atmosphere softened as former hostages and family members of those still being held took to the largest of three soundstages to demand the release of the remaining hostages. Around 250 people were taken hostage on Oct. 7. Many of the speeches, signs and prepared videos appealed directly to President Donald Trump in English, pleading with him to compel Netanyahu to 'seal the deal' with Hamas. While Sunday's protests were among some of the largest and fiercest in 22 months of war, smaller demonstrations held on a weekly basis have yet to sway the government to end the conflict, which Netanyahu has said he is determined to continue until Hamas is completely destroyed. The prime minister and his top officials poured scorn on Sunday's demonstrations. 'Those who today call for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas's position and delaying the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of Oct. 7 will be repeated,' the prime minister told his Cabinet on Sunday. His ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, one of the Cabinet's most hawkish right-wing voices, in a post on X called the protests a 'toxic and harmful campaign that plays into the hands of Hamas, buries the hostages in tunnels, and tries to bring the State of Israel to surrender to its enemies and endanger its security and future.' Their government's approach appears to have the backing of Trump. 'We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed,' he wrote Monday on Truth Social. 'Play to WIN, or don't play at all!' While Israeli media reported that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met with senior officials on Sunday to finalize the plans for the expanded operations in Gaza, it remains unclear when the country's military will begin the new offensive in the north of the enclave and in what Netanyahu has called the 'central camps' of Gaza. The U.N. humanitarian office said last week that 1.35 million people were already in need of emergency shelter items in Gaza, so any armored incursion could displace hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom have been uprooted multiple times during a war that has killed more than 62,000 people, according to health officials in the Hamas-run enclave. Two children were among five people who died of malnutrition-related causes, the Gaza Health Ministry said Monday, bringing the total number of malnutrition-related deaths to 263. The United Nations also warned that levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest since the war began. Much of the aid destined for Gaza has been prevented from entering since Israel imposed a total blockade in March after ending a ceasefire. Deliveries have since partially resumed, though aid organizations say the flow is far below what is needed. In Hostage Square, some held up pictures of emaciated Palestinians, but many simply wanted an end to the fighting and a deal to free those hostages who remain in Gaza. 'I'm sure that most of the Israelis are here with us now,' said Keren Leibovitz, 54, whose son Tomer was killed on Oct. 7, 2023, while he was serving in the Israeli military. Leibovitz added that before Israel worked on completely defeating Hamas, the majority of her countrymen 'want the war to end and they want the hostages to come back.'
Fox News
41 minutes ago
- Fox News
Trump on what it will take to bring Israeli hostages home: Hamas must be 'confronted and destroyed'
President Donald Trump said Monday that the remaining Israeli hostages will only be returned once Hamas is "confronted and destroyed," as the Gaza-based terrorist group cited alleged progress in ongoing ceasefire talks. The U.S. and Israel pulled their negotiators from Qatar last month, with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff saying at the time that Hamas demonstrated a "lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza" and were likely not negotiating in good faith. "We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!!" Trump wrote on TRUTH Social on Monday morning. "The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be," Trump wrote. "Remember, I was the one who negotiated and got hundreds of hostages freed and released into Israel (and America!). I was the one who ended 6 wars, in just 6 months. I was the one who OBLITERATED Iran's Nuclear facilities. Play to WIN, or don't play at all! Thank you for your attention to this matter!" The message came ahead of Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House on Monday as they try to iron out a separate peace deal with Russia. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, the Iran-backed Hamas said Monday it has accepted a new proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that would still need Israel's approval. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response that Hamas is under "enormous pressure" after Israel announced plans to reoccupy Gaza City and other heavily populated areas after ceasefire negotiations again stalled in Qatar last month. "I hear the media reports – and from them, you can draw one conclusion: Hamas is under enormous pressure," Netanyahu said in a Hebrew video statement translated by Fox News. Netanyahu also said on Monday he visited the Gaza Division, where he met with the senior Israeli Defense Forces command staff, and expressed "tremendous appreciation for the great achievements of the IDF in the War of Rebirth – the war on seven fronts." The prime minister said he was "deeply impressed by the fighting spirit and determination to complete the defeat of Hamas and to bring about the release of all our hostages." He said he also spoke to the defense minister and chief of staff "about our plans regarding Gaza City and the completion of our missions." A diplomat briefed on the negotiations with Hamas told Fox News that "through pressure on Hamas to accept, Qatari and Egyptian mediators secured a breakthrough that preserves 98% of the Witkoff proposal, which the Israeli side had previously agreed to." "The mediators were able to secure this outcome despite recent events and developments moving toward further escalation," the diplomat said. "This step marks the beginning of the road to a comprehensive solution." Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said mediators are "exerting extensive efforts" to revive a U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, during which some hostages would be released and the sides would negotiate a lasting ceasefire and the return of the rest. He spoke during a visit to Egypt's Rafah crossing with Gaza, which has not functioned since Israel seized the Palestinian side in May 2024. He was accompanied by Mohammad Mustafa, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority. Abdelatty said Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had joined the talks, which include senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, who arrived in Cairo last week. He said they are open to other ideas, including a comprehensive deal that would release all the hostages at once. Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, later told the Associated Press that the terrorist group had accepted the proposal introduced by the mediators, without elaborating. An Egyptian official, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said the proposal includes changes to Israel's pullback of its forces and guarantees for negotiations on a lasting ceasefire during the initial truce. The official said it is almost identical to an earlier proposal accepted by Israel, which has not yet joined the latest talks. Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas has been disarmed, and to maintain lasting security control over Gaza. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Hamas accepts an Arab ceasefire proposal on Gaza as Palestinian death toll passes 62,000
Advertisement Plans to expand the offensive, in part aimed at pressuring Hamas, have sparked international outrage and infuriated many Israelis who fear for the remaining hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that started the war. Hundreds of thousands took part in mass protests on Sunday calling for their return. 'Extensive efforts' to revive talks Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said mediators are 'exerting extensive efforts' to revive a U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, during which some of the remaining 50 hostages would be released and the sides would negotiate a lasting ceasefire and the return of the rest. Abdelatty told The Associated Press they are inviting U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to join the ceasefire talks. Abdelatty spoke to journalists during a visit to Egypt's Rafah crossing with Gaza, which has not functioned since Israel seized the Palestinian side in May 2024. He was accompanied by Mohammad Mustafa, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, which has been largely sidelined since the war began. Advertisement Abdelatty said Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had joined the talks, which include senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, who arrived in Cairo last week. Abdelatty said they are open to other ideas, including for a comprehensive deal that would release all the hostages at once. Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, told the AP that the militant group had accepted the proposal introduced by the mediators, without elaborating. An Egyptian official, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said the proposal includes changes to Israel's pullback of its forces and guarantees for negotiations on a lasting ceasefire during the initial truce. The official said it is almost identical to an earlier proposal accepted by Israel, which has not yet joined the latest talks. Diaa Rashwan, head of the Egypt State Information Service, told the AP that Egypt and Qatar have sent the Hamas-accepted proposal to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video addressing the Israeli public that reports of Hamas' acceptance of the proposal showed that it is 'under massive pressure.' Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas has been disarmed, and to maintain lasting security control over Gaza. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Palestinian death toll surpasses 62,000 Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians, in the attack that ignited the war. Around 20 of the hostages still in Gaza are believed by Israel to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Advertisement Gaza's Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war had climbed to 62,004, with another 156,230 people wounded. It does not say how many were civilians or combatants, but says women and children make up around half the dead. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. Israel disputes its toll but has not provided its own. The ministry said 1,965 people have been killed while seeking humanitarian aid since May, either in the chaos around U.N. convoys or while heading to sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed American contractor. Witnesses, health officials and the U.N. human rights office say Israeli forces have repeatedly fired toward crowds of people seeking aid. Israel says it has only fired warning shots at people who approached its forces. GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired into the air on rare occasions to prevent deadly crowding. More deaths linked to malnutrition Experts have warned that Israel's ongoing offensive is pushing Gaza toward famine, even after it eased a complete 2 1/2-month blockade on the territory in May. Gaza's Health Ministry said Monday that five more people, including two children, died of malnutrition-related causes. It says at least 112 children have died of malnutrition-related causes since the war began, and 151 adults have died since the ministry started tracking adult malnutrition deaths in June. Amnesty International on Monday accused Israel of 'carrying out a deliberate campaign of starvation.' Advertisement Israel has rejected such allegations, saying it allows in enough food and accusing the U.N. of failing to promptly deliver it. U.N. agencies say they are hindered by Israeli restrictions and the breakdown of law and order in the territory, around three-quarters of which is now controlled by Israel. Israeli lawmaker denied visa to Australia In a separate development, far-right Israeli lawmaker Simcha Rothman accused Australia of antisemitism after it denied him a visa for a speaking tour. Rothman is a member of the Religious Zionism party, which supports the continuation of the war, the mass relocation of Palestinians through what it describes as voluntary migration and the reestablishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza. 'The Australian government's decision to deny me the opportunity to come and speak to my people, due to expressing simple and clear positions, is clear and blatant antisemitism that gives a boost to terrorism,' Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported Rothman saying. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke defended the move, saying: 'If you are coming to Australia to spread a message of hate and division, we don't want you here.' In response, Israel revoked the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority and told the Israeli Embassy in Australia to 'carefully examine' any official visa applications from Australia to Israel, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X. Australia joined 27 other Western-allied nations in a joint statement last month calling for an end to the war and joined a smaller circle of countries in sanctioning two far-right Israeli government ministers accused of inciting violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Rod McGuirk contributed from Canberra, Australia. Advertisement
