‘589 days of hell’: Israelis rally to end war, free remaining Gaza hostages
Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, demanding the immediate acceptance of a proposed deal to secure the release of remaining hostages held in Gaza and to bring an end to the ongoing conflict.
The demonstration comes amid growing public frustration over the government’s handling of the war that began after Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023. Of the 251 individuals taken hostage during that attack, Israeli authorities report that 57 remain in captivity in Gaza, including 34 confirmed dead by the military.
“589 days of hell since the October 7 massacre, and instead of bringing them all home by agreeing to the deal that is on the table, Netanyahu is dragging us into a needless political war that will lead to the death of the hostages and soldiers,” said Zahiro Shahar Mor, the nephew of slain hostage Avraham Munder, addressing the crowd of protesters.
Another demonstrator, speaking to AFP, expressed a complete lack of faith in the government. “My first hope is to see this government fall. Because I have no trust in them whatsoever, I would love the hostages to come back as fast as possible, but I cannot really trust them. So my first hope and my first message is, let's take this government down,” he said.
The protests coincided with a significant escalation in military activity. Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli air strikes on Sunday, May 18, resulted in the deaths of at least 33 people, with more than half identified as children.
In a statement, the Israeli military said the expansion of its operations is aimed at "achieving all the war's objectives," which include the release of hostages and "the defeat of Hamas."
