Thousands of protesters rallied around the country to protest the government and call for the release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza on Saturday evening.
The main demonstrations took place on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv, the site of weekly anti-government protests, that have also been the location of several press conferences and speeches made by the families of the Gaza hostages and politicians.
The police blocked Begin Road in Tel Aviv as protesters lit bonfires outside the Kirya military headquarters. These protests have already seen severe clashes between police and protesters, with police arriving with additional forces.
Police arrests 16 people
Chants of “shame” were called by protesters as the police tried to push them away from the central bonfires that were lit on Begin Road.
The police said 16 people had been arrested in Tel Aviv.
Earlier this evening, the families of the hostages held a press conference where they spoke of the fact that they had not seen or heard from their loved ones in 176 days and criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war and hostage negotiations. Their statements called for the state to hold new elections to replace Netanyahu.
The Ayalon Highway was blocked by protesters in both directions, and it has been reported that water cannons are deployed by police to disperse the protesters.
Protests are held across the country in numerous locations. Around 1,500 demonstrators in Jerusalem met at Paris Square, and they too called for the release of the hostages. Another 1,500 were reportedly protesting in Herzilya, and residents of the Gaza border communities were also reported to have blocked the Shaar HaNegev intersection in southern Israel.
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