Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets Saturday night, marking a major shift in protests that have been led by families of hostages held by Hamas. In her announcement, Elie Arbag, whose daughter Lili was also detained, declared an end to the individual gathering in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square. Instead, he urged everyone to join widespread anti-government protests, signaling a new phase of escalation. This reflects the frustration felt among hostages' families and supporters following the government's failure to secure their release since the outbreak of hostilities. October 7th.
The protests, now unified in their cause, saw significant clashes with law enforcement, particularly in Tel Aviv, where major roads were blocked and police resorted to water cannon to control crowds. Similar defiant scenes unfolded in Jerusalem and Caesarea, near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence, where chants calling for his resignation rang out throughout the night.
Protest speakers, including Einav Zangaukar and Hadas Calderon, parents of Hamas prisoners, directly accused Netanyahu of obstructing efforts to negotiate the release of the hostages, calling Netanyahu's actions “incomprehensible and “It's criminal.” Sentiments were further amplified by the presence of former hostages who criticized the government's approach to negotiations and called for immediate action to bring their loved ones home. After the protests on Kaplan Street and Hostage Square in Tel Aviv ended, demonstrators gathered on Begin Street, where a group of reservists among the demonstrators renewed their demands for the release of the hostages.
