Protests held across Israel calling for end to Gaza war, hostage deal
Tel Aviv (AFP) — Demonstrators took to the streets across Israel Sunday calling for an end to the war in Gaza and a deal to release hostages still held by militants, as the military prepares a new offensive.
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The protests come more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, following 22 months of war that have created dire humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory.
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The war was triggered by Palestinian militant group Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, during which 251 people were taken hostage.
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A huge Israeli flag covered with portraits of the remaining captives was unfurled in Tel Aviv's so-called Hostage Square — which has long been a focal point for protests throughout the war.
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Demonstrators also blocked several roads in the city, including the highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where demonstrators set tires on fire and caused traffic jams, according to local media footage.
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Protest organizers and the main campaign group representing the families of hostages also called for a general strike on Sunday — the first day of the week in Israel.
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In Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv, many businesses were shut.
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'I think it's time to end the war. It's time to release all of the hostages. And it's time to help Israel recover and move towards a more stable Middle East,' said Doron Wilfand, a 54-year-old tour guide, at a rally in Jerusalem.
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The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group said in a statement that protesters would 'shut down the country today (Sunday) with one clear call: Bring back the 50 hostages, end the war'.
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Their toll includes a soldier killed in a 2014 war whose remains are held by Hamas.
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The forum plans to set up a protest tent near the Gaza border, vowing to 'escalate our struggle and do everything possible to bring back our beloved ones'.
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'If we don't bring them back now -– we will lose them forever.'
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The Province
3 hours ago
- The Province
Protests held across Israel calling for end to Gaza war, hostage deal
Published Aug 17, 2025 • 3 minute read The protests across Israel come more than a week after the government approved plans to expand the Gaza war Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP Tel Aviv (AFP) — Demonstrators took to the streets across Israel Sunday calling for an end to the war in Gaza and a deal to release hostages still held by militants, as the military prepares a new offensive. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The protests come more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, following 22 months of war that have created dire humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory. The war was triggered by Palestinian militant group Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, during which 251 people were taken hostage. Forty-nine captives remain in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. A huge Israeli flag covered with portraits of the remaining captives was unfurled in Tel Aviv's so-called Hostage Square — which has long been a focal point for protests throughout the war. Demonstrators also blocked several roads in the city, including the highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where demonstrators set tires on fire and caused traffic jams, according to local media footage. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Protest organisers called for a general strike to demand a hostage release deal. (Menahem Kahana/AFP) Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP Protest organizers and the main campaign group representing the families of hostages also called for a general strike on Sunday — the first day of the week in Israel. In Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv, many businesses were shut. 'I think it's time to end the war. It's time to release all of the hostages. And it's time to help Israel recover and move towards a more stable Middle East,' said Doron Wilfand, a 54-year-old tour guide, at a rally in Jerusalem. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group said in a statement that protesters would 'shut down the country today (Sunday) with one clear call: Bring back the 50 hostages, end the war'. Their toll includes a soldier killed in a 2014 war whose remains are held by Hamas. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The forum plans to set up a protest tent near the Gaza border, vowing to 'escalate our struggle and do everything possible to bring back our beloved ones'. 'If we don't bring them back now -– we will lose them forever.' 'Stay strong' Recent videos released by Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad showing two weak and emaciated captives have heightened concern for the fate of the hostages. Egypt said in recent days mediators were leading a renewed push to secure a 60-day truce that would include hostage release, after the last round of talks in Qatar had ended without a breakthrough. Viki Cohen, whose son Nimrod is held in Gaza, said in a post on X addressing him: 'I hope you have access to the media somewhere in the tunnels, and that you will see how the people of Israel pause life today for you and for the hostages. Stay strong, just a little more.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Speaking at a rally in Tel Aviv, Israeli President Issac Herzog said 'we want them back as soon as possible', calling for international pressure on Hamas. Some Israeli government members who oppose any deal with Hamas slammed Sunday's demonstrations. Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich decried 'a perverse and harmful campaign that plays into the hands of Hamas'. He argued that public pressure to secure a deal effectively 'buries the hostages in tunnels and seeks to push the State of Israel to surrender to its enemies and jeopardize its security and future'. Culture Minister Miki Zohar, of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, said on X that blocking roads and disrupting daily life 'is a serious mistake and a reward to the enemy'. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Israeli police beefed up forces, saying no 'public order disturbances' would be tolerated. Famine warning AFPTV footage showed protesters at a rally in Beeri, a kibbutz near the Gaza border that was one of the hardest-hit communities in the Hamas attack, and Israeli media reported protests in numerous locations across the country. The Israeli plans to expand the war into Gaza City and nearby refugee camps have sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition. UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in. Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed more than 61,897 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable. Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Whitecaps News News
CBC
8 hours ago
- CBC
Mass protests held across Israel calling for end to Gaza war, release of hostages
Thousands of Israelis took part in a nationwide strike on Sunday in support of families of hostages held in Gaza, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war and release the remaining captives. Demonstrators waved Israeli flags and carried photos of hostages as whistles, horns and drums echoed at rallies across the country. Some protesters blocked streets and highways, including the main route between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. "Today, everything stops to remember the highest value: the sanctity of life," Anat Angrest, the mother of hostage Matan Angrest, told reporters at a public square in Tel Aviv. Among those who met with families of hostages in Tel Aviv was Israeli Hollywood actress Gal Gadot, known for her role as Wonder Woman and starring in the Fast & the Furious franchise. Ahead of Sunday, some businesses and institutions said they would allow staff to join the nationwide strike, which was called by the hostages' families. While some businesses closed, many also remained open across the country on what is a working day in Israel. Schools are on summer recess and were not affected. A major rally was scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv in the evening. Israeli police said that 38 demonstrators had been detained by 2 p.m. local time. Some protesters blocking roads scuffled with police, and were carried away by officers. Demonstrations across the country were briefly halted around 4 p.m. local time when air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and elsewhere, warning of an incoming missile fired from Yemen. The missile was intercepted without incident. On Sunday, Netanyahu told the cabinet: "Those who call today 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 repeat themselves over and over again." WATCH | Netanyahu defends plan to take over Gaza City: Netanyahu defends Israeli plan to take over Gaza City after international condemnation 7 days ago Facing worldwide criticism, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his plan to take over one of Gaza's most populous areas, in a press conference with international journalists. Netanyahu, who is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, also blamed many of Gaza's problems on Hamas. The prime minister, who leads the most right-wing government in the country's history, said his government was determined to implement a decision for the military to seize Gaza City, one of the last major areas of the enclave it does not already control. That decision is widely unpopular among Israelis and many of the hostages' families, who fear an expanded military campaign in Gaza could risk the lives of their loved ones still held captive. There are 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza, of which Israeli officials believe around 20 are still alive. "There is no time — not for the lives wasting away in hell, nor for the fallen who may vanish in the ruins of Gaza," said the Hostages Families Forum, which represents many families of captives held in Gaza, on Sunday. After nearly two years of war in Gaza, ignited by the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023, most of the hostages who have been freed so far emerged as a result of diplomatic talks. Negotiations toward a ceasefire that could have seen more hostages released collapsed in July. The Palestinian militant group Hamas has said it would only free the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war, while Netanyahu has vowed that Hamas cannot stay in power. The Israeli government has faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, including from some of its closest European allies, over the announcement that the military would soon seize Gaza City. WATCH | Israel's Gaza City plan condemned by world leaders: Israel's plan to capture Gaza City condemned by world leaders 9 days ago The Israeli government's plan to take control of Gaza City has triggered condemnation from leaders around the world, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said the action will put the 'hostages at greater risk.' On Sunday, Hamas called the plan criminal, saying it would force the displacement of hundreds of thousands from Gaza City. More than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza, according to local health officials there. They said on Sunday at least 29 had been killed in the past day. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken into Gaza during Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, according to Israeli tallies. More than 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since then. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, who attended a rally in Tel Aviv, expressed support for the protesters. "The only thing that strengthens the country is the wonderful spirit of the people who are going out from home today for Israeli solidarity," he wrote on X.
Calgary Herald
10 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Protests held across Israel calling for end to Gaza war, hostage deal
Article content Tel Aviv (AFP) — Demonstrators took to the streets across Israel Sunday calling for an end to the war in Gaza and a deal to release hostages still held by militants, as the military prepares a new offensive. Article content The protests come more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, following 22 months of war that have created dire humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory. Article content Article content The war was triggered by Palestinian militant group Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, during which 251 people were taken hostage. Article content A huge Israeli flag covered with portraits of the remaining captives was unfurled in Tel Aviv's so-called Hostage Square — which has long been a focal point for protests throughout the war. Article content Demonstrators also blocked several roads in the city, including the highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where demonstrators set tires on fire and caused traffic jams, according to local media footage. Article content Article content Protest organizers and the main campaign group representing the families of hostages also called for a general strike on Sunday — the first day of the week in Israel. Article content In Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv, many businesses were shut. Article content Article content 'I think it's time to end the war. It's time to release all of the hostages. And it's time to help Israel recover and move towards a more stable Middle East,' said Doron Wilfand, a 54-year-old tour guide, at a rally in Jerusalem. Article content The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group said in a statement that protesters would 'shut down the country today (Sunday) with one clear call: Bring back the 50 hostages, end the war'. Article content Their toll includes a soldier killed in a 2014 war whose remains are held by Hamas. Article content The forum plans to set up a protest tent near the Gaza border, vowing to 'escalate our struggle and do everything possible to bring back our beloved ones'. Article content 'If we don't bring them back now -– we will lose them forever.'
