Tel Aviv, occupied al-Quds, Haifa, Caesarea, and Beir al-Sabe saw massive demonstrations Saturday evening as Israeli settlers took to the streets, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and demanding new elections.

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth described the protests as the largest since October 7, primarily targeting Netanyahu's administration and calling for the return of Israeli captives held in Gaza.

BREAKING: Massive protests right now in Tel Aviv, israel. Israeli protesters are calling for Netanyahu's immediate ousting, a ceasefire-hostage deal, and new elections. pic.twitter.com/xYTh1GYwem

— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) June 22, 2024

This surge in protests follows a statement issued by the families of the Israeli prisoners in Gaza, holding Netanyahu fully responsible for the lives of their loved ones.

The families accused the Prime Minister of neglecting the issue of the captives and said they were suffering because Netanyahu refused to negotiate a release deal with Hamas. They voiced their frustration directly to Netanyahu, stating, "You know that if the hostages return, you will have to go."

The families stressed that "the blood of the hostages is on Netanyahu's hands," urging all Israeli settlers to mobilize urgently to overthrow the Prime Minister. They emphasized that without Netanyahu's departure, there would be no deal for the captives.=

"There will be no agreement, and there will be no revival for us without the fall of Netanyahu's government," the captives' families stressed.

Tens of thousands of Israeli settlers protested against Netanyahu and his government on Monday amid its inability to secure the release of dozens of Israeli captives still held in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Protests against Netanyahu's conduct have escalated, with tens of thousands flocking to the streets in Tel Aviv every weekend, with reports of some being arrested last week.

Demonstrators made their way to occupied al-Quds on Monday to gather outside the Israeli Knesset and Netanyahu's residence, calling for new elections as part of what activists have called a "week of unrest," demanding the ousting of Netanyahu, and urging a prisoner exchange deal.

🚨BREAKING: More than 100 thousand Israelis are currently demonstrating in front of the Knesset headquarters in Jerusalem, demanding early elections to remove Netanyahu's government pic.twitter.com/mFCroDEgis

— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) June 17, 2024

Soon after, the protests turned violent as the police clashed with the protesting settlers, resulting in the arrest of nine people with a couple of injuries reported. 

The chant "Down with the tyrant" echoed across the streets, with many wearing a shirt reading: "Stop the war."