Thousands of Israeli settlers gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to protest, urging the government to secure a deal for the release of all captives held by Hamas in Gaza as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump in Washington. 

“How can you sleep at night when you are abandoning them?” asked former captive Ilana Gritzewsky, adding that "Israel has to put forward an initiative on the table to return all the hostages in one go, not in stages, not in groups, we want everybody now."

The protesters also demonstrated against Netanyahu and his government, as he continues to wage war on Gaza and delay a ceasefire agreement that could see the release of the rest of the Israeli captives.

Israelis protest against resumption of war, Netanyahu's government

On March 18, The Hostages and Missing Families Forum issued a statement following renewed Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, accusing the government of "choosing to give up the lives of the hostages."

"The greatest fear of the families, of the hostages, and Israeli citizens has been realized," the statement read.

The forum warned that resuming military operations before securing the release of "all hostages will cost us the 59 hostages who are still in Gaza and who can still be saved and returned."

It dismissed claims that the offensive is aimed at freeing captives, calling such statements "complete misdirection" and asserting that "military pressure endangers hostages and soldiers."

Of the 59 captives, only 24 are believed to be alive, according to Israeli media, while the families of the dead are seeking the return of remains for burial.

Similarly, on March 22, thousands of Israeli settlers flooded the streets of Tel Aviv in large-scale demonstrations, calling for a full hostage exchange agreement, expressing outrage over the dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, and rallying behind the Israeli Supreme Court’s interim decision to suspend the process of his removal from office.