More Than 100,000 Demonstrates in Tel Aviv Against Netanyahu’s Plan to Escalate Gaza
Netanyahu presses military expansion in defiance of opposition, while a large Tel Aviv rally calls for the end of the Gaza conflict and the release of hostages.
As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet poised to increase military operations, over 100,000 protesters poured into the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night to demand the quick end of Israel’s almost two-year war in Gaza and the release of hostages.
Demonstrators chanted and waved Israeli flags in protest of the security cabinet’s decision to take control of Gaza City, which many believe could jeopardize the hostages that Hamas still holds. A small group of senior ministers approved the idea on Friday, and it will be presented to the entire cabinet for final approval as early as Sunday.
“This isn’t merely a military choice. Lishay Miran Lavi, whose husband Omri Miran is one among the persons still in captivity, stated, “It could be a death sentence for the people we love most.” To prevent the escalation, she pleaded with US President Donald Trump to step in.
According to public opinion surveys, the majority of Israelis support ending the conflict immediately in order to ensure the release of the remaining 50 hostages, of whom officials estimate only 20 are still alive. The majority of earlier releases were made through diplomatic channels, but ceasefire negotiations broke down in July.
The government is a bunch of fanatics. Rami Dar, a 69-year-old retiree who traveled from outside of Tel Aviv to attend the event, stated, “They are acting against the interests of the nation.”
People holding signs denouncing Netanyahu’s leadership, placards featuring the faces of hostages, and, in some cases, pictures of Palestinian children slain in the fighting also attended the demonstration. In a city that has witnessed regular rallies calling for a ceasefire and a hostage agreement, organizers claimed Saturday’s attendance was among the biggest ever.
Israel’s military operation has killed almost 61,000 Palestinians since Hamas launched their October 7, 2023 offensive, which killed over 1,200 people and kidnapped 251, according to the Gaza health ministry. In the last 24 hours alone, 39 deaths were reported by the ministry. Additionally, almost 400 Israeli soldiers have lost their lives.
A complete takeover of Gaza and even the annexation of some areas of the enclave have been demanded by some of Netanyahu’s partners in the far-right alliance. However, Israel’s military has cautioned that such actions could put the lives of the captives in jeopardy. One of the main advocates of extending the war, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, chastised Netanyahu for not acting more quickly.
High school teacher Tal, 55, referred to the idea as “dreadful,” stating that it would lead to more deaths of both military and civilians. “There is nothing for us to do. It isn’t ours,” she declared.
