Israelis stage nationwide protests to demand end to Gaza war and release of hostages
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 called by the hostages' families. While some businesses closed, many 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 night.
Israeli police said 38 demonstrators had been detained by 2pm. Some protesters blocking roads scuffled with police and were carried away by officers.
Demonstrations across the country were briefly halted around 4pm 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' position and delaying the release of our hostages. They are also ensuring the horrors of October 7 will repeat themselves over and over again.'
The prime minister, who leads the country's most right-wing government in 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 control.
The 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 held captive. There are 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza, of which Israeli officials believe around 20 are alive.
'There is no time, not for the lives wasting away in hell or for the fallen who may vanish in the ruins of Gaza,' the Hostages Families Forum, which represents many families of captives held in Gaza, said 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 towards 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 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 the military would soon seize Gaza City.
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' attack on Israel. More than 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since then.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who attended a rally in Tel Aviv, expressed support for the protesters.
He wrote on X: 'The only thing that strengthens the country is the wonderful spirit of the people who are going out from home today for Israeli solidarity.'
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