Over 100,000 protest in Tel Aviv against Netanyahu’s Gaza war escalation plans

More than 100,000 demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to escalate military operations in Gaza, following the security cabinet’s approval to seize Gaza City.

The massive protest came a day after Netanyahu’s office announced the cabinet had decided to expand operations in the Palestinian territory, despite widespread public opposition and military warnings that the move could endanger remaining hostages.

Protesters demanded an immediate end to the military campaign and the release of hostages still held in Gaza. “This isn’t just a military decision. It could be a death sentence for the people we love most,” Lishay Miran Lavi, wife of hostage Omri Miran, told the rally, appealing to Donald Trump to intervene to end the war immediately.

Public opinion polls show an overwhelming majority of Israelis favour ending the war to secure the release of the remaining 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza. Israeli officials believe about 20 hostages are still alive.

Government faces criticism over expansion plans

The Israeli government has faced sharp criticism domestically and internationally, including from some of its closest European allies, over the military expansion announcement. The full cabinet is expected to approve the decision as early as Sunday.

Most of the hostages who have been freed emerged as a result of diplomatic negotiations. Talks toward a ceasefire that could have seen more hostages released collapsed in July.

“They (the government) are fanatic. They are doing things against the interests of the country,” said Rami Dar, a 69-year-old retiree who travelled from a Tel Aviv suburb, echoing calls for Trump to force a hostage deal.

Yana, 45, who attended with her husband and two children, said: “Frankly, I’m not an expert or anything, but I feel that after two years of fighting there has been no success. I wonder whether additional lives for both sides, not just the Israelis but also Gazans, will make any difference.”

Casualties and political tensions

About 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, were killed and 251 taken into Gaza during Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel. More than 400 Israeli soldiers have died in Gaza since the war began.

Israel’s military has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians in the conflict, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which reported at least 39 deaths on Saturday alone.

Protesters waved Israeli flags and carried placards bearing hostage images, whilst others directed anger at the government or urged Trump to prevent Netanyahu from escalating the war. A small number held images of Palestinian children killed in Gaza.

Some of Netanyahu’s far-right coalition allies have pushed for total Gaza control, despite military warnings this could endanger hostages. Far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich issued a statement on Saturday criticising Netanyahu and calling for annexation of large Gaza areas.

Netanyahu told Fox News in an interview that aired on Thursday that the military intended to take control of all Gaza but that Israel did not want to keep the territory. The announcement from the prime minister’s office on Friday said the military would take Gaza City, but did not explicitly say if Israeli forces would take all the territory.

Tal, a 55-year-old teacher at the rally, called expansion “terrible,” warning it would kill soldiers and hostages. “We don’t have anything to do there. It’s not ours,” they said, advocating for military withdrawal.

(information from The Guardian)