Mass Protests in Tel Aviv Over Gaza War Escalation Plan

Demonstrators attend a protest demanding the immediate release of the hostages kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, and the end of the war, in Tel Aviv, Israel, August 9, 2025.

Over 100,000 demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, denouncing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to intensify the nearly two-year Gaza war and demanding the immediate release of hostages.

The security cabinet, a small group of senior ministers, recently decided to seize Gaza City, signalling an expansion of military operations despite warnings that the move could put hostages at greater risk. The full cabinet is expected to approve the plan soon.

“This isn’t just a military decision; it could be a death sentence for the people we love most,” said Lishay Miran Lavi, wife of hostage Omri Miran, urging the United States to intervene to end the conflict.

Polls indicate most Israelis support ending the war to secure the release of the remaining 50 hostages, about 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Past releases largely came through diplomatic negotiations, but ceasefire talks collapsed in July.

Many protesters voiced frustration with the government’s approach, warning that further fighting would cost more lives on both sides. Some carried images of hostages, others of Palestinian children killed in the war, while calls for foreign intervention echoed throughout the crowd.

Since the war began following Hamas’s October 2023 attack, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Israeli military deaths in Gaza have surpassed 400.

Far-right members of the governing coalition have pushed for full control of Gaza, a move the military warns could endanger hostages. While Netanyahu has said Israel does not intend to keep the territory, he has vowed to take control of all of Gaza.

Speakers at the rally insisted that the conflict must end and Israeli forces should withdraw, arguing that prolonged fighting serves neither national security nor humanitarian goals.