Tel Aviv Sees Mass Protest Against Netanyahu’s Gaza Plan

Demonstrators attend a protest demanding the immediate release of the hostages kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, and the end of the war, in Tel Aviv, Israel yesterday.

 Tens of thousands of Israelis flooded central Tel Aviv on Saturday night, rallying against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new plan to seize Gaza City and demanding the immediate release of hostages still held in the war-torn enclave.

The demonstration, one of the largest since the conflict began nearly two years ago, came a day after Netanyahu’s office announced that his security cabinet had approved expanding military operations in Gaza. Critics, including military officials, warned the move could further endanger the roughly 50 hostages believed to remain in captivity — about 20 of whom are thought to be alive.

“This isn’t just a military decision; it could be a death sentence for the people we love most,” said Lishay Miran Lavi, the wife of hostage Omri Miran, urging U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene and broker an immediate end to the war.

Public opinion polls suggest most Israelis want the fighting to stop in exchange for the hostages’ release, with many pointing to past ceasefire negotiations as the only successful path. Those talks collapsed in July.

Protesters waved Israeli flags, carried images of hostages, and held signs denouncing the government’s strategy. Organisers estimated the crowd at over 100,000, with some participants also displaying pictures of Gazan children killed during the war.

“After two years of fighting, there’s been no success,” said Yana, 45, who attended with her husband and two children. “I don’t see how more lives lost — Israeli or Gazan — will make any difference.”

Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack that killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Since then, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners have called for a full takeover and even annexation of parts of Gaza, though the prime minister has publicly stated Israel does not intend to keep the territory. The full cabinet is expected to vote on the Gaza City plan as early as Sunday.