TEL AVIV, Aug 10 — The heart of Tel Aviv pulsed with anger, grief, and hope on Saturday night as tens of thousands gathered to demand an end to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to escalate the nearly two-year Gaza war. Their message was clear: stop the fighting, save the hostages, and spare more lives.
The outcry came a day after Netanyahu’s security cabinet decided to seize Gaza City, despite mounting warnings from military officials that such an escalation could place the remaining hostages in grave danger. Many believe this move pushes Israel deeper into a war that has already left deep scars on both sides.
“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, her voice breaking as she pleaded for U.S. President Donald Trump to step in and end the war.
Polls show that most Israelis want the war to stop immediately, with the hope of securing the release of the roughly 50 hostages still in Gaza. Officials believe only about 20 of them are alive. Past releases have come through delicate negotiations, not battlefield victories—talks for a ceasefire collapsed in July, dashing hopes for more returns.
Protesters waved Israeli flags, held placards with hostage photos, and some even carried images of Gazan children killed in the conflict. “They (the government) are acting against the interests of the country,” said Rami Dar, 69, who had travelled from outside Tel Aviv. “It’s time for leaders to put lives over politics.”
Among the crowd of over 100,000, families came together to voice their pain. Yana, 45, attended with her husband and children: “After two years of fighting, there has been no success. How many more lives—Israeli and Gazan—must be lost before we see this is going nowhere?”
The war, ignited by Hamas’ October 2023 attack that killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, has since claimed over 61,000 Palestinian lives according to Gaza’s health ministry, along with more than 400 Israeli soldiers.
Some in Netanyahu’s far-right coalition have pushed for total control of Gaza, despite warnings from the military and international backlash. Yet for those on Tel Aviv’s streets, the demand was simple and urgent: end the bloodshed, bring the hostages home, and give both nations a chance to heal.
