In photos: Mass protests in Israel demand a hostage deal
NewsOn Tuesday, protesters gathered at intersections and outside ministers' homes in response to a call from the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, an advocacy group for Israeli hostages. They demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government reach a truce agreement in Gaza.
Several tens of thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, August 26, to close a day of solidarity with the hostages in Gaza and demand an end to the war. According to the Gaza Strip's civil defense, Israeli military operations killed at least 35 people on Tuesday, after nearly 23 months of Israel's ground offensive in the devastated and famine-stricken Palestinian territory.
Across Israel throughout the day, protesters gathered at intersections and outside ministers' homes to demand a truce agreement in Gaza from the government.
"Enough is enough!" Silvia Cunio shouted into the microphone at the start of a large rally in Tel Aviv that evening. Her two sons, Ariel and David, have been held captive in Gaza for 690 days. She spoke alongside her sons' partners.
"It's moving to see so many people care. I wish there were even more," Ella, 27, told Le Monde. "I'm here so that we don't forget, so that the problem isn't buried. The government won't do anything. This war is what it needs."
Nira, 90, said she "no longer had hope." "I come to support the families. In Paris, the protests are large. Here, it's calm. I expect nothing from the government. It is a burden for all Jews around the world."
The protest called by the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, an advocacy group for Israeli hostages, began at dawn in Tel Aviv. According to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer, around 400 demonstrators stopped cars and waved Israeli flags and photos of hostages.
Ahead of a meeting of the security cabinet, a select group of ministers empowered to make strategic decisions, the protesters aimed to demonstrate strong support for a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages in Gaza.
In a video released after the meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was vague about the government's intentions. According to several Israeli media outlets, the meeting ended with no decision except to resume discussions by the end of the week.
Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's special envoy, announced that the US president will chair a "major meeting" at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the post-conflict situation in Gaza.
