The Daily Populous Monday August 18th, 2025 evening edition
Authored by theguardian.com and submitted by Tsarovitch27

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have gathered in Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages, one of the largest demonstrations in Israel since the start of the fighting in October 2023.

The rally on Sunday evening was the culmination of a day of nationwide protests and a general strike to pressure the government to halt the military campaign. “Bring them all home! Stop the war!” shouted the vast crowd, which had converged on the so-called Hostage Square in Tel Aviv plaza – a focal point for protesters throughout the war.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, the initiator of the day of protest, estimated that about 500,000 people joined the demonstration in Tel Aviv – a figure not confirmed by the police. “We demand a comprehensive and achievable agreement and an end to the war,” said Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan and a leading figure of the protest movement.

“We demand what is rightfully ours – our children. The Israeli government has transformed a just war into a pointless war.”

National media published a video message by Matan Zangauker on Sunday, in which the hostage, weak and emaciated, addressed his family and told them he missed them. The video was filmed by Hamas and found in Gaza by the army, the family said.

“This is probably the last minute we have to save the hostages,” demonstrator Ofir Penso, 50, told AFP.

The protests come more than a week after Israel’s security cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, 22 months into a war that has created a dire humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group vowed on Sunday that protesters would “shut down the country” with the goal of bringing back the hostages and ending the war.

Throughout Israel, demonstrators blocked roads, set tyres on fire and clashed with the police. More than 30 protesters were arrested, law enforcement said.

Netanyahu criticised the protesters, saying their actions “not only harden Hamas’s position and draw out the release of our hostages, but also ensure that the horrors of 7 October will reoccur”.

View image in fullscreen Vast crowds in Tel Aviv demanded the government abandon its decision to fully occupy Gaza City and sign a prisoner exchange agreement. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Egypt said in recent days mediators were leading a renewed push to secure a 60-day truce deal that includes hostages being released, after the last round of talks in Qatar ended without a breakthrough.

Some Israeli government members who oppose any deal with Hamas criticised Sunday’s demonstrations. Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, decried a “perverse and harmful campaign that plays into the hands of Hamas” and calls for “surrender”.

However, Benny Gantz, an opposition leader, condemned the government for “attacking the families of the hostages” while “bearing responsibility for the captivity of their children by Hamas for nearly two years”.

Israel’s military offensive has killed at least 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, most of them civilians. The figure does not include the thousands believed to be buried under rubble or the thousands killed indirectly as a consequence of the war.

Intelligent-Juice895 on August 18th, 2025 at 08:44 UTC »

The give some context to people who are not familiar with israel politics:

The hostages situation has somewhat being soaked to the political arena, when center-left parties advocate for the prioritization of the release of the hostages in exchange for a ceasefire, while the right-hard right advocate to continue the war until Hamas is eliminated, even with the price of not releasing the hostages at the time being.

Netanyahu’s government is composed of… yea you guessed it. Right to hard right coalition, meaning that most voters of this specific coalition opposing the idea of a ceasefire before Hamas is defeated, therefore this protests are not going to change much.

Tsarovitch27 on August 18th, 2025 at 04:22 UTC »

Unfortunately, this will not change Netanyahu's will. Destroying Gaza makes him unpopular and yet he continues. It is true that as long as he is in power, he cannot be judged for corruption...