More than 15,000 people gathered in Jerusalem on Saturday to press Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a deal to free the remaining hostages held in Gaza, the BBC reported, with parallel rallies held in Tel Aviv.
Family members and supporters filled Paris Square and marched within earshot of the prime minister's official residence, calling for an immediate end to the fighting in Gaza and urging the government to accept terms for the return of captives. Of the 48 hostages still believed to be held in Gaza, Israeli authorities say as many as 20 may still be alive. Israel has not formally accepted a proposed deal that would secure the release of some hostages and has repeatedly said it will only agree to an arrangement that brings all captives home.
The demonstrations, led by families of those abducted in the 7 October 2023 assault by Hamas, have grown in intensity in recent months. Hamas fighters took 251 hostages into Gaza in the attack that also killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's military response to the assault has been extensive; the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reports at least 64,368 Palestinians killed, most of them civilians, a figure the United Nations has said it regards as reliable while Israel disputes the toll.
Speakers at the Jerusalem protest directly appealed to Mr. Netanyahu, with some relatives delivering emotional and at times anguished messages. Anat Angrest, the mother of Matan Angrest, an Israeli soldier being held in Gaza, warned that families would hold leaders accountable if harm came to the hostages, according to local reporting. Many demonstrators argued that expanding military operations risked the lives of hostages still in captivity.
Despite mounting domestic pressure and international calls for a ceasefire, Israeli leaders have given few signs of shifting course. Mr. Netanyahu has said the only way to secure the release of all hostages is to achieve "total victory" over Hamas, and he has repeatedly prioritized the destruction of the militant group. Speaking on Sunday, the prime minister said he would choose victory over what he described as hostile international narratives.
Military and government planning suggests the Israel Defense Forces are preparing to intensify operations in Gaza, including plans for a major ground incursion into Gaza City and other densely populated areas. Some former Israeli military officials have publicly argued that the army has achieved much of what it can by air and limited ground maneuvers, and warned that further escalation could endanger hostages and worsen civilian suffering. Serving officers were reportedly still being tasked to prepare for a broader offensive.
Defence Minister Israel Katz has posted videos and statements in recent days depicting the destruction of high-rise buildings in Gaza City and warning that the strikes marked only the beginning of deeper operations. He has also used stark language about the campaign and warned residents of Gaza City to move south to the area known as al-Mawasi. Humanitarian organisations and local authorities say no area of Gaza can be considered safe; al-Mawasi itself has been struck repeatedly, with dozens killed in recent attacks, according to Gaza officials.
International pressure to halt or scale back the offensive has increased. Visiting Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen told reporters he was "extremely concerned about the humanitarian disaster in Gaza" and reiterated calls for Israel to end its military campaign. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, however, cautioned that moves by some European nations to recognise a Palestinian state could prove counterproductive and said that discussions about the West Bank's future were ongoing.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has been described by aid agencies and some foreign governments as dire. Gaza health officials reported at least 87 people killed in air strikes across the territory in the 24 hours before the BBC dispatch and said five people, including three children, had died during the same period from famine and malnutrition.
The protests in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv reflect growing domestic unease with the government's handling of the crisis: demonstrators included bereaved families, relatives of hostages and broader anti-war activists. Many of the families have campaigned for months for a negotiated exchange to recover captives, even as officials in Jerusalem continue to insist that military pressure is needed to dismantle Hamas's command structures and prevent further attacks.
As demonstrations persist, the government faces a complex set of choices: continue operations that officials say are necessary to eliminate a security threat and free hostages in the long term, or pursue a negotiated settlement that could secure the immediate release of some captives but leave Hamas intact to some degree. The BBC report said there had been no formal response from Israel accepting the latest proposal for the release of some hostages.
The protests are likely to keep pressure on Israeli leaders in the coming days and weeks, even as military preparations proceed. International calls for renewed ceasefire negotiations continue alongside demands from bereaved families for urgent action to bring hostages home.