فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Tel Aviv, Israel – Mass demonstrations continue in Israel, particularly in Tel Aviv, demanding a comprehensive deal for the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip, reflecting mounting public pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. These protests date back to November 2023, with at least ten demonstrations attracting over 100,000 participants, aiming for hostage release and government resignation.
On November 25, 2023, approximately 100,000 people gathered at “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv to mark “50 Days of Hell” since the October 7 attack. The intensity of the protests has escalated over time; on January 28, 2024, police arrested several protesters at Kaplan Interchange in Tel Aviv, and hundreds were forcibly dispersed.
On August 24, 2024, thousands joined weekly anti-government protests, demanding a hostage deal and the government’s resignation, with seven demonstrators arrested. Families of hostages and many other citizens also protested in Tel Aviv and across Israel on August 31, 2024, leading to clashes with police.
September 1, 2024, saw the Histadrut trade union announce a one-day general strike to protest the lack of a prisoner deal with Hamas, with 300,000 people demonstrating in Tel Aviv and 200,000 in other parts of Israel. On September 14, 2024, 100,000 Israelis protested in 67 locations across Israel, including Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, and Caesarea, near Prime Minister Netanyahu’s private residence.
These protests come amid the ongoing hostage crisis since the Gaza war, with 148 hostages returned alive to Israel by May 2025. Of these, 105 were released during the 2023 ceasefire, five by Hamas outside any ceasefire, eight rescued by the IDF, and 30 during the 2025 ceasefire.
On June 8, 2024, four hostages were rescued from the Nuseirat refugee camp, but the operation resulted in over 200 Palestinian deaths according to the Gaza Health Ministry, while Israel claims 100 fatalities. On January 19, 2025, Israeli troops recovered the body of soldier Oron Shaul, held by Hamas since 2014.
The return of hostages remains a central goal of Israeli operations in Gaza, despite ongoing political controversy over whether it should be the primary focus. Hamas had offered to release all its hostages in exchange for the release of all Palestinian prisoners, leading to the release of over 1,000 Palestinians by Israel since 1967. As of October 2023, Israel held 5,200 Palestinian prisoners, including 170 children, a number that increased to 10,000 by November 2023.
International workers, including 17 Thai citizens and one Nepali, were also kidnapped, with some released during ceasefires. These protests and the hostage crisis are part of a broader series of civil unrest and riots in Israel since November 2023, sparked by the Gaza war and the hostage situation.
