In Tel Aviv, demonstrators blocked roads, waving Israeli flags and holding up photographs of hostages, AFP correspondents reported from the scene.
According to Israeli media, rallies also took place outside a U.S. embassy branch in the city as well as near the homes of several ministers across the country.
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prioritizes the destruction of Hamas over the release of hostages," said Ruby Chen, whose son was abducted by militants in October 2023. "He considers it acceptable and permissible to sacrifice 50 hostages for political goals," he added, speaking at one of Tuesday’s rallies.
The agenda of the war cabinet meeting was not officially disclosed, but local media reported it could include discussion of resuming talks on a cease-fire and prisoner exchange.
A Voice Unheard
Civilians Are Becoming the Main Victims of Israel’s War in Gaza
Catastrophic Hunger and Mass Killings Increasingly Resemble Genocide
Israel’s Genocide in Gaza Can No Longer Be Justified as Self-Defense Against Hamas
Repression of Civilians and the Aid Blockade Are Turning Israel Into a Global Pariah
At the beginning of August, the cabinet approved a military operation to capture Gaza City, sparking a new wave of protests and fears for the fate of hostages held by militants. Tens of thousands took to the streets.
Last week Netanyahu ordered urgent negotiations to secure the release of all remaining captives, while at the same time reaffirming his intention to launch an offensive on the strip’s largest city.
These steps followed Hamas’s announcement that it was prepared to accept a new mediator proposal for a cease-fire. The plan envisions the staged release of hostages within the first 60 days in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Strikes on a Hospital, International Outrage, and the Highest Toll Among Journalists
Israel is facing mounting pressure both at home and abroad to end its military campaign in Gaza, where the fighting has triggered a humanitarian catastrophe and destroyed much of the territory.
On Monday, Israeli strikes hit a hospital in Gaza, killing at least 20 people, including five journalists working for Al Jazeera, Associated Press, Reuters, and other outlets.
Palestinians mourn journalists killed in the Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
The UN, international organizations, and governments of leading countries—including Israel’s closest allies—expressed shock over the attack. Later, Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “tragic mistake” and expressed regret, while the military announced a preliminary investigation into the incident.
This war has become one of the deadliest for journalists: according to professional organizations, nearly 200 media workers have been killed during almost two years of Israeli operations in the strip.
The fighting was triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, which, according to AFP, killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians. Of the 251 hostages taken that day, 49 remain in Gaza, including 27 whom the Israeli military considers dead. Militants also still hold the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in the 2014 war.
Israel’s response has killed at least 62,744 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry in the strip, which the UN regards as credible.