Massive protests accuse Netanyahu of abandoning captives, urge war end
3 Min Read
As Netanyahu faces mounting protests over captives, Gaza’s population endures famine, disease, and relentless bombardment under "Israel’s" blockade and war.
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Israeli police officers detain a demonstrator during a protest demanding the immediate release of captives and calling for the Israeli government to reverse its decision to occupy Gaza City and other areas in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. (AP)
Organizers reported that nearly half a million Israeli settlers rallied in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square on Saturday night, with close to one million participating in demonstrations across the occupied territories, denouncing the government’s handling of the captive crisis and its ongoing war on Gaza.
The Hostage Families Forum described the Tel Aviv rally as one of the largest since the beginning of the war, saying, “Almost 500,000 people gathered…to make it clear, the entire people of Israel want the release of all the hostages and an end to the war.”
Yet, behind the slogans lay mounting anger against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused of deliberately prolonging the war on Gaza, which has already killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, for political survival, even at the expense of Israeli captives.
Families accuse Netanyahu of sacrificing captives for politics
Speaking to hundreds of thousands in Tel Aviv, the families of captives publicly accused Netanyahu’s cabinet of abandoning their loved ones to sustain the war.
Ofir Braslavaski, father of Rom Braslavski, said he felt powerless as his son’s health visibly declined in recent videos showing him and fellow captive Evyatar David emaciated and distressed.
It is worth noting that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels under the ongoing Israeli blockade.
Palestinians face severe shortages of food, clean water, fuel, and medical supplies, with children among the most vulnerable. This, of course, can be projected on the Israeli captives held in Gaza.
Aid organizations warn that the blockade has intensified the risk of famine, disease, and long-term trauma, creating conditions described by experts as a man-made humanitarian disaster that imperils the basic survival of Gaza’s population.
“The entire country saw, all of the leaders saw, but the cabinet chose to expand the war and abandon them,” he said. “My Rom has no time, the hostages have no time.”
Yehuda Cohen, father of Nimrod Cohen, went further, branding Netanyahu’s government itself a "terror regime", saying, “We are living under a terror organization that refuses to return our children for political reasons.”
The protesters also called on Trump to step in, end the war, and secure the release of the captives.
Hundreds protest outside Likud HQs
After the massive rally for the captives in Tel Aviv, hundreds of demonstrators marched to the nearby Likud HQs of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where they set a bonfire and clashed with the police.
Police officers prevented the crowd from entering the Metzudat Ze’ev building.
Clips shared on social media show police shoving protesters, while demonstrators beat drums and shouted slogans against the government.
Growing fracture
The protests reflect a growing fracture within Israeli settler communities: families of captives demand negotiations and an end to the war, while Netanyahu pursues the occupation of Gaza City.
Critics argue the prime minister is gambling with the lives of captives while waging a genocidal campaign against Palestinians, ensuring neither the captives nor Palestinians find relief.
Read more: Netanyahu from West Bank: ‘We thwarted Palestinian statehood’
