TEL AVIV, Israel — Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets across the country on Sunday, August 17, 2025, demanding an immediate end to the war in Gaza and a deal to secure the release of hostages still held by Hamas. The protests, which swept through Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and other cities, marked a significant escalation in public pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government amid growing frustration over the ongoing conflict.
Organizers, including the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, claimed that over one million people participated in hundreds of demonstrations nationwide, though The NYBudgets could not independently verify these figures. Images and videos showed packed streets and squares, with protesters blocking highways, lighting bonfires, and gathering outside politicians’ homes and military headquarters. The Israeli police reported multiple arrests, stating on X, “Officers have arrested multiple individuals engaging in unlawful behavior and will continue to act wherever public safety or freedom of movement is at risk.” They emphasized that while “the right to lawful protest” is a cornerstone of democracy, actions like burning tires or endangering public safety are unlawful.
The protests reflect deep divisions over Netanyahu’s handling of the war, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists launched a deadly attack from Gaza, killing approximately 1,200 Israelis and taking 250 hostages. Israel’s response—an aerial bombing campaign followed by a ground offensive—has resulted in 61,900 Palestinian deaths, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza. A ceasefire in January 2025 led to a partial Israeli troop withdrawal, but the conflict persists, with 50 hostages still in Gaza, 30 of whom are believed to be dead.
Netanyahu, addressing a government meeting on Sunday, defended his strategy, arguing that ending the war without defeating Hamas would embolden the group and jeopardize Israel’s security. “Those who are calling for an end to the war today without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas’s stance and pushing off the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of the October 7 will recur again and again,” he said. “Together, we have had great achievements against our enemies on all fronts. Together we will fight and with God’s help, together we will complete the victory and end the war.”
On August 8, Netanyahu announced a Security Cabinet-approved plan to retake Gaza City, disarm Hamas, and secure the release of all hostages. The five-point plan also seeks to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, restore Israeli security control, and establish a new civil administration independent of Hamas or the Palestinian Authority. The move has drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures and hostage families. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid posted on X, “This is exactly what Hamas wanted: for Israel to be trapped in the field without a goal, without defining the picture of the day after, in a useless occupation that no one understands where it is leading.”
Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod remains a hostage, expressed anguish over the government’s priorities, telling The Epoch Times, “We live between a terrorist organization that holds our children and a government that refuses to release them for political reasons.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich labeled the protests “a bad and harmful campaign that plays into Hamas’s hands, buries the hostages in the tunnels and attempts to get Israel to surrender to its enemies and jeopardize its security and future.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing relatives of those still held, thanked the public for their support, posting on X, “Throughout the day, over one million people participated in hundreds of actions held across the country. The hostage families wish to tell the people of Israel: ‘Thank you! From here, we will only intensify our efforts. Stay with us until the last hostage is returned!’”
The planned Gaza City offensive, which will likely require mobilizing thousands of reservists, has yet to be scheduled, adding to public uncertainty. Critics argue that Netanyahu’s focus on military victory risks prolonging the war and delaying hostage releases, while supporters insist that neutralizing Hamas is essential for Israel’s long-term security. As tensions mount, the demonstrations underscore a nation grappling with the human and strategic costs of a conflict that shows no immediate end.