Thousands of Israelis returned to Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square and Begin Road on Saturday night for the first time in three weeks, reigniting weekly demonstrations in support of a hostage deal and protest of the government’s handling of the war.
There has been talk in recent days of Jerusalem and Washington making a push to end the war in Gaza in the coming weeks with a deal that will see the return of all 50 remaining hostages, though there is no official confirmation.
US President Donald Trump on Friday said he thought a ceasefire would be reached “within the next week.”
Liri Albag, one of five IDF soldiers released from Hamas captivity during a brief truce in January-March, delivered an emotional speech before a crowd of some 2,000 people in Hostages Square, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to follow his “brave decision” on Iran with an equally decisive move to secure a ceasefire and bring back the remaining 50 hostages held in Gaza.
“Over the past two weeks, all the headlines were about Iran. My brothers and sisters were pushed aside,” Albag said, referring to Israel’s recent 12-day war with Tehran, which ended Tuesday in a US-brokered ceasefire. “Fifty souls, 50 worlds — and it’s time to bring them back.”
Albag shared harrowing details of her time in captivity, including being disguised in Palestinian garb and marched through Gaza’s streets before being locked with five other women and girls in an underground cage, two by two meters (yards) in size, and barely high enough to stand.
“We were fed a quarter of a pita, a date, and half a bowl of rice a day,” she said. “Every second there is an eternity. This is the reality of the hostages.”
Albag addressed Netanyahu and Trump directly: “You made a brave decision on Iran. Now make a brave decision that ends the fighting in Gaza and brings back everyone… because that’s our moral duty as a nation.”
Sharon Alony Cunio, a survivor of captivity and the wife of hostage David Cunio, also took the stage and gave a deeply emotional plea.
“Every night, the girls ask me the same question again and again: ‘Mom, when is Daddy coming home?’ And I have no answers,” she said. “And I ask you — does anyone here have an answer for me? For my daughters? How is it possible that nearly two years have passed and David, the love of my life, the father of my children — how is he still there?
“The girls still remember David, but like any memory, it’s fading,” she continued. “And I’m not willing to let David become a memory. Because David is alive. And I need you with me, with us. I need my voice to become your voice. Fight with me. Don’t let this go on another day, another week, another month. Because he can come back. All of them can. Now. Not in a partial deal, not in phases, not in rounds — all of them. Now.”
Earlier in the evening, families of the hostages held a joint statement calling for an immediate end to the war and a comprehensive deal to bring their loved ones home.
“They are living on borrowed time — they can be saved,” said Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker.
Yehuda Cohen, father of kidnapped soldier Nimrod Cohen, echoed the call: “There is a deal on the table. We cannot miss this opportunity. The time has come for a comprehensive agreement — that is the will of the people and in Israel’s interest,” he said, turning to his son. “Nimrod — we are in the final stretch. Hang in there, my boy.”
Elsewhere in Tel Aviv, around 1,500 demonstrators gathered at the Begin Road entrance to IDF Headquarters. An Iranian missile struck there earlier this month, and local businesses that once thrived during the protests, including a nearby bakery and cafe, remained shuttered due to damage from debris.
Itzik Horn, father of hostage Eitan Horn and released hostage Iair Horn, used the rally to condemn what he called the government’s ongoing failure since October 7.
“Despite what we did in Iran, which was a great thing… we won’t forget and won’t forgive,” he said. “Since October 7, no minister or member of Knesset from the coalition has spoken to me.”
Horn also rejected the latest US-proposed deal by White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, which would involve a 60-day ceasefire during which Hamas would release roughly half of the living and dead hostages in stages.
“According to the Witkoff framework, half the hostages stay behind,” he said, comparing the phased release to the Nazi “selection” that doomed some at concentration camps to death.
“It’s impossible to explain why the prime minister always chooses to release the hostages piecemeal,” Horn added.
It is believed that Hamas demands such phased releases to ensure Israel lives up to its side of the agreements.
Saturday’s demonstrations were the first weekend protests in three weeks, with rallies paused due to Israel’s war with Iran and the prohibition on large gatherings amid repeated missile attacks.