Thousands march the streets of Tel Aviv against Netanyahu's new plan
A day before, Israel validated its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to seize full control of the Gaza Strip and step up military operations in the devastated territory – a move going ahead despite widespread public opposition and warnings from the army that it could endanger the hostages' lives.
Lishai Miran Lavi, wife of Omri Miran – one of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas – told the rally, 'This is not just a military decision – it could be a death sentence for the most precious people in our lives.' She calls on US President Donald Trump to intervene to bring the war to an immediate end.
Polling indicates that a clear majority of Israelis want the fighting to stop at once to secure the release of the 50 remaining hostages in Gaza. Israeli officials believe about 20 of them are still alive.
In Tel Aviv, protesters waved Israeli flags and carried placards bearing pictures of the hostages. Some addressed the government directly, while others appealed to Trump to stop Netanyahu from escalating the war. A small group displayed images of children killed in Gaza.
Tal Nahum who joined the protest against Netanyahu's plan said 'We didn't agree with all the decisions that our government is doing, and secondly, we blame our government for all the disasters that occurred in October 2023."
The decision to escalate the war has drawn strong criticism at home and abroad, including from some of Israel's closest European allies. The full cabinet is expected to approve the plan by Sunday. Most of the hostages released so far were freed through diplomatic negotiations, but Israel has refused to continue implementing the agreements reached, bringing the release process to a halt.
In recent months, Tel Aviv has repeatedly seen rallies calling for a ceasefire and the release of hostages through talks with Hamas. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Netanyahu's right-wing cabinet – which since the 7 October has carried out attacks in the Gaza strip, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iran – remains determined to pursue its aims through military means.
Some of Netanyahu's hard-line allies in the ruling coalition have called for the complete capture of Gaza, but the army has warned that such a move could put the hostages at greater risk. Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right minister in the cabinet and a supporter of continuing the war, issued a statement on Saturday criticising Netanyahu and calling for the annexation of large areas of Gaza.
Netanyahu told Fox News on Thursday that the army intended to take control of all of Gaza, but Israel did not plan to hold on to the territory. In a statement on Friday, the prime minister's office said the army would capture Gaza City, but did not say whether the whole Gaza Strip would be occupied.
The Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 left around 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage. Since then, about 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the assault on Gaza. In return, Israel has killed more than 61,000 people in Gaza, caused widespread destruction and imposed a blockade that has created famine, with many dying of starvation.
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