Hundreds of thousands of Israelis participated in a one‑day nationwide strike on Sunday, demanding an immediate end to the Gaza war and a negotiated deal to secure the release of hostages in Gaza.
Organised by family‑led groups—the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and the October Council—the strike halted businesses, schools, theatres and public transit, while protests erupted in cities such as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Be’eri. Demonstrators blocked major roads, including the Jerusalem–Tel Aviv highway, burning tyres and igniting bonfires in scenes of civil defiance.
🇮🇱 Tel Aviv Erupts: Massive Protests Against Netanyahu & Gaza War
— Global Dissident (@GlobalDiss) August 17, 2025
Hundreds of thousands took to Tel Aviv’s streets, demanding an end to the Gaza campaign and condemning Netanyahu. pic.twitter.com/jnX9m7AfLC
Authorities responded with arrests—some reports mention between 30 and 38 people detained—and the use of water cannons to disperse crowds, particularly in Jerusalem.
Protesters voiced grave concern that the planned escalation of military operations in Gaza City could endanger the remaining approximately 50 hostages held by Hamas, of whom only around 20 are believed to still be alive. Many condemned the belief that military pressure alone would facilitate their safe return: “Military pressure doesn’t bring hostages back—it only kills them,” said former captive Arbel Yehoud during a rally in Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square”.
After Netanyahu's call for the people of Iran to take to the streets, the people responded and poured into the streets, but in Tel Aviv.
— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterObserve) August 17, 2025
Massive Anti government protest in Tel Aviv. pic.twitter.com/PHRdH4nOIw
President Isaac Herzog attended the demonstration in Tel Aviv and emphasised national unity in the demand to bring the hostages home: “There’s no Israeli who doesn’t want them back home,” he said. He also appealed to the international community to intensify pressure on Hamas.
By contrast, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the strike, asserting that calls to end the war without first defeating Hamas only strengthen the group and delay the hostages’ release.
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