The protests intensified after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed on Friday that the Security Cabinet had approved a plan for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to take over Gaza City.
Tens of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night, demanding an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the safe return of hostages still held by Hamas. The protest came a day after the Israeli government announced plans to escalate the conflict by seizing Gaza City — a move that has drawn mounting criticism from both the public and political leaders.
The rally, organized by families of hostages abducted during the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, saw demonstrators carrying banners, chanting slogans, and holding photographs of their loved ones. The message was clear and urgent: bring them home. Organizers said more than 100,000 people joined the demonstration, which merged calls for a hostage release with growing opposition to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Lawyer Dor Eilon, holding an image of a malnourished Gazan child, condemned the humanitarian toll of the war, calling it “immoral to look away.”
Public opinion polls show a majority of Israelis now favour ending the war immediately and securing the release of the 50 remaining hostages, of whom officials believe only about 20 are still alive. Initially focused solely on freeing hostages, demonstrations in Israel have increasingly expanded to challenge the morality and strategic direction of the Gaza war. Center-left voices and some military experts warn that an expanded ground offensive could endanger both hostages and soldiers while worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where food shortages are severe.
The protests intensified after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed on Friday that the Security Cabinet had approved a plan for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to take over Gaza City. The move would mark a major escalation in a conflict that has already claimed the lives of more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, alongside over 1,200 Israelis killed during the October 7 attack. In an attempt to calm concerns, Netanyahu posted on X that Israel had no intention of occupying Gaza. Instead, he pledged to “free Gaza from Hamas,” demilitarise the territory, and install a “peaceful civilian administration” not controlled by Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, or any other armed group. “We are not going to occupy Gaza — we are going to free Gaza from Hamas,” Netanyahu said, adding that humanitarian aid would be provided to civilians outside combat zones. However, opposition leaders dismissed the assurances. Yair Lapid, head of the opposition, called the cabinet’s approval of the Gaza City operation “a disaster that will lead to more disasters,” warning that the decision contradicted military advice and risked high casualties.
Lapid accused far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich of pressuring Netanyahu into a long, costly operation “that no one understands where it is leading.” He warned it could trap Israel militarily and politically, costing tens of billions of shekels and delivering Hamas a strategic advantage. The October 7 Hamas attack killed about 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, and saw 251 taken hostage. In retaliation, Israel launched a massive military campaign in Gaza. While Israeli forces have eliminated large numbers of Hamas fighters, the offensive has also devastated civilian infrastructure and displaced hundreds of thousands of Gazans. International criticism of Israel’s actions has grown, with some European allies urging restraint and renewed focus on securing a ceasefire and hostage deal. Aid agencies warn that Gaza is on the brink of famine.
Despite Netanyahu’s insistence on continuing military operations, Saturday’s protest signaled a shift in public mood. As the war nears its second year, more Israelis are questioning whether the government’s strategy is achieving its stated goals — or prolonging suffering on both sides. For the families holding photographs of their missing loved ones, the demand is simple: end the fighting, bring the hostages home, and prevent further loss of life.
