A demonstrator holds up a placard as others block a road during an anti-government protest demanding a deal to release Israelis detained in the Gaza Strip by Hamas militants since October 7, 2023, in Tel Aviv on August 17, 2025. GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP
Demonstrators across Israel called on Sunday, August 17, for an end to the Gaza war and a deal to release hostages still held by militants, a push lambasted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies.
The protests come more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, following 22 months of war that have created dire humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory. The war was triggered by Palestinian militant group Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, during which 251 people were taken hostage. Forty-nine captives remain in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
A huge Israeli flag covered with portraits of the remaining captives was unfurled in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square, which has long been a focal point for protests throughout the war. Demonstrators also blocked roads, including the highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where they set tires on fire, according to local media footage.
