Protests in Israel increasingly fierce demanding an end to the war
On the evening of August 23 (local time), thousands of Israelis took to the streets to protest, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government reach an agreement with Hamas on the release of the remaining hostages who have been held for nearly 700 days in the Gaza Strip. The main protest took place at 8:00 p.m. at Hostage Square, in front of the Tel Aviv Museum.
In addition to the protest in Tel Aviv, several gatherings also took place in Sha'ar HaNegev, Kiryat Gat, Jerusalem and other locations.
Despite having its permit revoked by the police, a large-scale peace march with the slogan “End hunger, end war - For life and peace” still took place in Tel Aviv on the afternoon of August 23, attracting thousands of Arabs and Jews.
The organizers said the police had revoked the permit on the evening of August 21 and asked that the number of participants be limited to 500 instead of the previously approved 5,000. However, the march was still held, starting at 4:30 p.m. in Dizengoff Square and ending at Habima Square, calling for “an end to hunger, an end to war and the release of hostages.”
The event was organized by the High Monitoring Committee of Arab Citizens in Israel, an organization representing the Arab community in Israel, in collaboration with the Partnership for Peace Movement and human rights organizations. The march also attracted the participation of four Arab political parties - Hadash, Ta'al, Balad and Ra'am.
Following the strike and demonstrations on August 17, the families of the hostages have called for a “National Day of Unity” on August 26. Under the slogan “Israel, united,” the event will include demonstrations across the country, ending with a march at 7 p.m. from Savidor Central Station to Hostage Square, where a ceremony calling for the release of the hostages will take place at 8 p.m.
On the evening of August 22, protesters also blocked several highways, including the Ayalon line in Tel Aviv and Highway 6 near Elyakim. In Jerusalem, hundreds of people protested in front of Prime Minister Netanyahu's residence.
According to the Hostage Families Forum, the protest in Tel Aviv on August 17 attracted more than half a million people – one of the largest since the war began nearly two years ago. An estimated 1 million people nationwide took part in the demonstrations that day, with strikes spreading to hundreds of local governments, businesses, universities and technology companies.
The protracted war is deeply dividing Israeli society, as a series of increasingly fierce protests take place calling for a humanitarian deal to return hostages and end the bloody conflict in Gaza.
