JERUSALEM, Israel – Sunday marked a day of nationwide protests and rallies demanding an end to the war in Gaza. The protests, however, were concentrated in Tel Aviv, and much of the country, including some hostage families, believes the demonstrations send the wrong message to Hamas.
At a mass rally in Tel Aviv Sunday night, some hostage families pleaded with President Donald Trump to help end the war and free the hostages.
Einav Zangkauer, the mother of hostage Matan Zangkauer, declared, “We now rise to save the hostages, the soldiers. “We demand a comprehensive and applicable deal and the end of the war. We demand what we deserve: our children! And we will continue to demand until we get all of them (back).”
Earlier, Hamas had released footage of Matan, who pleaded for his life. Some believe Hamas timed the release of Matan’s video to stir the nation’s emotions.
During the day, organizers launched a nationwide strike to shut down the country. Police arrested dozens of protesters after they blocked main highways. Yet, some family members of those who were killed on October 7th, 2023, told Israeli Radio that the protests play into the hands of the Gaza terror groups.
One family member said, “When we go out into the streets like this, Hamas sees us falling apart from within. For a comprehensive deal, Hamas needs to be on its knees.”
Another contended that the protests sow discord, saying, “The more we escalate the struggle in this way, the more we will push the country into total chaos, and in my view, we will achieve nothing except terrible division among us.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned that ending the war without victory would serve Hamas.
He stated, “Today, those who call for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas’ position and delaying the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of October 7th will be repeated over and over again, and that our sons and daughters will have to fight over and over again in an endless war.”
Netanyahu added, “Therefore, both to advance the release of our hostages and to ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel, we must complete the task and defeat Hamas.”
To reach that goal, Israel Defense Forces Chief Eyal Zamir announced the IDF is preparing the next phase of the war, including a plan to mobilize as many as 100,000 reservists, relocation of Gaza City residents to safety in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, and encircling the city to defeat Hamas.
