Hundreds of protesters blocked traffic near Tel Aviv early this morning demanding an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages, ahead of a security cabinet meeting scheduled for this afternoon.
At the northern entrance to the coastal metropolis, an AFP photographer saw about 400 people stopping cars, waving Israeli flags and photos of hostages.
Protesters gathered near a US embassy building, as well as outside the residences of several ministers across the country, according to an AFP journalist and Israeli media.
Of the 251 people kidnapped on October 7, 2023 during the Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war, 49 are still being held, of whom at least 27 are dead, according to the Israeli military.
"We demand that our leaders sit at the negotiating table and not move from there until an agreement is reached," said Hagit Chen, whose son has been kidnapped, according to a statement from the Families Forum, the most important organization of relatives of the hostages.
The agenda of the security cabinet has not been officially announced, but, according to local media, participants are expected to discuss the resumption of negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages.
Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the start of negotiations for the release of all hostages, days after Hamas agreed to a new ceasefire proposal presented by the mediating countries Egypt, Qatar and the United States.
According to Palestinian sources, this provides for the gradual release of hostages during an initial 60-day ceasefire, in exchange for the release of Palestinians held by Israel.
At the same time, Netanyahu gave the green light for a new military offensive to capture Gaza City, considered one of the last strongholds of the Palestinian Islamist organization.
In early August, the cabinet approved the plan, reviving fears about the fate of the hostages and leading to a new wave of protests involving tens of thousands of people.
