On Sunday night, Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square became the heart of a powerful national outcry. As the sun went down, waves of people flooded the streets—organizers say over 300,000 gathered in one of the largest protests since the Gaza war began nearly two years ago.
This wasn’t just a rally. It was a moment when an entire country seemed to hit pause. Streets were blocked, businesses shut their doors, and people from all corners of Israel stood together to demand one thing: bring the remaining 50 hostages home.
The movement stretched far beyond Tel Aviv. From small towns to major cities, demonstrations broke out across the country. Protesters even showed up outside the homes of government ministers. Organizers said the protest began at 6:29 a.m.—the exact time Hamas launched its attack on October 7, 2023. By day's end, more than a million people had taken part in hundreds of coordinated actions.
At the center of the night’s rally, a haunting new video surfaced. It showed hostage Matan Zangauker, filmed months ago in Gaza, speaking directly to his loved ones. “Tatu, Shani, Ilana—I miss you. God willing, we’ll meet again,” he says in the video, his voice steady, his head shaved. His mother, Einav, released the footage as part of the campaign to free her son and the others still trapped.
Later, she stood before the crowd and gave a gut-wrenching speech. “Your eyes in that video—I see them every time I close mine,” she said. Then, she turned her pain into fury, accusing the government of dragging the war on without a real plan for peace. “If Netanyahu wants an agreement, let him put one on the table. Otherwise, he’s just pretending.”
Hostage families, along with the October 7 Bereaved Families Council, declared a national “emergency break”—a collective halt to normal life until the hostages are freed. “We’re stopping everything,” said Anat Engrest, whose son is still in captivity. “Because life can’t go on while theirs hang in the balance.”
Public support is overwhelming. Polls consistently show that most Israelis favor a ceasefire deal—ending the war in return for the hostages’ release. But the last round of talks collapsed in July, when both Israel and the U.S. walked out, blaming Hamas for stonewalling.
Vicky Cohen, another mother of a hostage, stood before the media and delivered a sharp message to the government: “No more theatrics. Put a real proposal on the table. End this nightmare.”
The timing of the protests is no coincidence. The government recently approved plans to escalate the war and move into Gaza City, despite the military warning it could put the remaining hostages—only 20 of whom are believed to be alive—at even greater risk.
The IDF says another operation is coming soon. They’ve promised to relocate civilians first and provide tents, though most Gazans have already been forced to flee their homes multiple times.
As of Sunday afternoon, Israeli police had arrested 38 protesters nationwide for “disturbing public order.” Still, the momentum only grew. Though Israel’s largest labor union, Histadrut, didn’t officially join, it encouraged employers to let workers take part. Dozens of tech firms, universities, and legal offices paused operations in solidarity.
President Isaac Herzog visited the Tel Aviv protest and expressed his support: “Every Israeli wants the hostages to return. We’re all living with this grief.”
But voices from the government were sharply divided. Prime Minister Netanyahu told his cabinet that calls to stop the war would only embolden Hamas and delay the hostages’ release. Far-right Minister Itamar Ben Gvir went further, calling the strike a “political stunt” at the expense of the hostages’ pain.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum fired back: “You can keep hiding behind your politics. But you can’t hide from the responsibility anymore.”
To keep the pressure on, the Forum announced a new protest camp near the Gaza border, named “Waypoint 50”—symbolizing the 50 lives still hanging in the balance. Their goal is simple but urgent: keep the country’s eyes—and its conscience—focused on bringing them home.
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