Massive protests swept across "Israel" on Saturday night, as thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Tel Aviv to demand an immediate ceasefire, early elections, and the safe return of captives still held in Gaza.

The central rally at Habima Square was marked by chants against the government's handling of the war and widespread criticism of the exemption granted to ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students, leaving reservists to shoulder the burden of combat.

Nearby at "Hostages Square", outside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, families of captives held a rally urging the entity to finalize a comprehensive ceasefire agreement amid faltering negotiations in Qatar.

One of the night’s most striking moments came from Naama Levy, a recently freed IOF surveillance soldier, who addressed the crowd of about 1,500 with a chilling confession. Levy, released in January as part of a captive exchange, described Israeli airstrikes as terrifying.

“They come without warning,” Levy said of the Israeli airstrikes. “First you hear a whistle, then you pray, and then comes the boom. Loud enough to paralyze you. The ground trembles beneath you.” She recalled how one Israeli bombardment collapsed a section of the house where she was detained, barely sparing her life. “The wall I was leaning on didn’t collapse, and that’s what saved me.”

She warned that the same Israeli terror now haunts the 58 remaining captives still held in Gaza. “Right now, they’re hearing those same booms, and they’re terrified. They have nowhere to run. They can only cling to the wall and pray.”

Levy detailed the harsh conditions she endured because of the total Israeli blockade on Gaza, including days without food or water. “One day, I had nothing left. Then it rained. My captors put out a pot. That water was enough to make rice. That’s how I survived.”

Israelis blast Netanyahu for prolonging war

Earlier Saturday, families of the captives held a press conference in Tel Aviv, where they fiercely condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Many accused him of stalling the captive deal in favor of political survival.

Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is still in captivity, said, “An eternal, politically-motivated war is preferable [to Netanyahu] over the return of civilians kidnapped on his watch. He prefers to flatten Gaza indefinitely, even at the price of 58 Ron Arads.”

Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod remains a captive, denounced Netanyahu’s pursuit of a partial deal. “How is it that after 600 days, he proposes a selective deal? This is a death sentence for whoever is left behind.” He added, “I call upon President Trump, only you can stop this disaster and return everyone home.”

Protesters at another rally on Begin Road marched past Israeli military headquarters chanting, “Why are they still in Gaza?” Cohen mocked Netanyahu’s recent claim that Hamas fighters attacked “with flip-flops and AK-47s,” saying, “The premier seemed to think his son Nimrod’s tank was taken over with flip-flops.”

Zangauker accused the government of using soldiers to expand illegal settlements while abandoning captives. “To reach a deal that will bring everyone home, this government must go,” she said.

Left-wing activists mourn Gaza victims in silent vigil

On Kaplan Street, between the two main demonstrations, hundreds of leftist demonstrators gathered for a candlelit vigil outside the southern gate of the Israeli military headquarters. Holding photos of Palestinian children killed since the war resumed on March 18, they displayed names, dates, and locations of their killings in a silent protest.

This week’s demonstrations saw a notable surge in participation, drawing around 400 attendees. The protests also followed a wave of controversy surrounding recent remarks by former Israeli deputy chief and current Democratic Party chair Yair Golan. Speaking candidly, Golan said "Israel" was “killing babies as a hobby in Gaza.” 

Meanwhile, the Israeli genocide continues unabated, killing at least 53,000 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children, in yet another wave of indiscriminate slaughter. Among the latest horrors was a massacre early Saturday morning that killed nine children from a single family.

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