Families of Israeli Hostages Lead Protests Calling For End of Gaza War 

Israel faced mounting domestic and international pressure Sunday as families of hostages held in Gaza spearheaded nationwide protests demanding their release and an end to the nearly two-year-long war, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presses ahead with plans for a new offensive to seize Gaza City, the Wall Street Journal reported. 

Demonstrators blocked highways and staged rallies in more than 300 locations across Israel, with organizers saying hundreds of thousands were expected to join. Major universities, municipalities, and a number of tech companies shut down for the day in solidarity.  

Families of the roughly 50 hostages still held by Hamas – about 20 of whom are believed to be alive – warned that Netanyahu’s push to expand the war threatened the hostages’ survival and accused the prime minister of choosing “a death sentence for the hostages.”  

Polls show nearly 80 percent of Israelis favor ending the war in exchange for the captives’ release. 

The protests come after Netanyahu announced earlier this month that Israel is planning to take over Gaza City, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain under heavy bombardment and where some Israeli hostages are believed to be held. 

Despite domestic and international criticism, far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition oppose ending the conflict and criticized Sunday’s demonstrations. 

Critics have accused the prime minister of prolonging the fighting for political survival – a claim he dismisses. 

Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced Saturday it would begin transferring tents and shelter equipment into Gaza to facilitate the relocation of civilians from Gaza City to the south, according to the Guardian. 

Officials said the idea is to shepherd the civilians to safety before a new offensive begins. However, the United Nations voiced concern that the move would intensify their suffering, while human rights groups warned that Israel’s strategy amounts to ethnic cleansing. 

Hamas also criticized Israel’s relocation plan as a “new wave of genocide and displacement” disguised as humanitarian relief, while Islamic Jihad called it a “blatant mockery of international conventions,” Reuters wrote. 

The Israeli government has denied the claims.  

The war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas and its allies launched an attack in southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel’s response has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the enclave’s infrastructure.