Thousands Rally in Tel Aviv, Demand Full Gaza Hostage Release

DDM News

Thousands of Israelis filled the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, calling for the immediate release of hostages held in Gaza.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that the protest, held on July 6, 2025, was marked by growing public frustration over the government’s handling of hostage negotiations with Hamas.

According to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency and Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, demonstrators carried placards and chanted slogans demanding “a complete and not selective deal” to ensure that all captives, dead or alive, are brought home.

Relatives of the hostages led the protest, delivering emotional speeches that criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration for what they described as sluggish and selective negotiations.

“We won’t accept a deal that leaves our loved ones in Gaza,” one speaker said, drawing loud support from the crowd.

Protesters insisted on an all-inclusive agreement and warned against political compromises that might exclude some captives.

The demonstration took place just hours after the Israeli government announced it would send a delegation to Doha, Qatar, for renewed indirect negotiations with Hamas and other Palestinian groups.

These talks are being facilitated by international mediators and follow what Israeli authorities described as a “positive development” in Hamas’s position on a potential prisoner exchange.

Israel’s national broadcaster confirmed that the current deal under consideration involves a phased release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli facilities.

Mediators remain cautiously optimistic about bridging the gaps between the two sides.

Israeli officials estimate that around 50 hostages are still being held in Gaza, with about 20 confirmed to be alive.

In contrast, more than 10,400 Palestinians are currently imprisoned in Israel, many without trial.

Human rights organizations have long criticized Israel’s detention policies, accusing the government of systemic abuse, including torture, starvation, and medical neglect, allegations that have reportedly resulted in several deaths in custody.

Saturday’s protest in Tel Aviv unfolded against a broader backdrop of international outrage over Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.

Since the outbreak of war in October 2023, over 57,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have reportedly been killed, according to figures from Palestinian and global human rights groups.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Simultaneously, Israel is facing genocide charges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a case that has intensified diplomatic scrutiny and condemnation from multiple world powers.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to travel to Washington on Sunday for high-level talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Gaza war and the fate of hostages are expected to be central to their discussions.

The Tel Aviv protest signals growing domestic pressure on Netanyahu’s government to prioritize the release of all captives and to pursue a durable resolution through negotiation, not continued warfare.

As international legal and political challenges mount, Israeli citizens are making it clear: no one should be left behind in Gaza.

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