Updated 02.09 | Published 01.28
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Protesters block a road in Tel Aviv on Sunday night.
1 / 3 Photo: Ariel Schalit/AP/TT
30 people have been arrested after hundreds of thousands joined protests in several Israeli cities on Sunday.
The protests may be the largest since the war broke out on October 7, several media outlets write.
Six empty coffins were carried in a procession in Tel Aviv on Sunday night, a symbol of the six people held hostage by Hamas and now found dead in Gaza.
The announcement triggered a wave of sadness and anger in Israel.
– My son is still alive, but every day is like a game of Russian roulette that Netanyahu will play until all the hostages are dead, said Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, reports Haaretz.
Blocked highway
Around Israel, people gathered to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government’s policies regarding the Gaza war.
Many carried large signs with pictures of the hostages while chanting “we want them back!” and “why are they still in Gaza?”.
In Tel Aviv, a highway was blocked for around three hours by protesters. It was mostly peaceful, but in some places it turned violent with protesters throwing stones, lighting fires and shooting fireworks, Israeli media reports. Police used water cannons, mounted officers and distraction grenades to disperse the crowds.
“Larger scale”
In Jerusalem, a large crowd gathered outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, writes the BBC.
– It is a completely different thing today, a larger scale than anything before, said a 50-year-old man who was at the scene to the television channel.
According to the Times of Israel, 30 people have been arrested in Tel Aviv in connection with the protests, while five have been arrested in other cities.
Organizers of the protests state that around 300,000 people participated in Tel Aviv and another 200,000 in other parts of the country, writes the Times of Israel.
“Missing my child”
Eli Shtivi, whose son Idan is among those still being held hostage, took part in the protests.
– We hope that the decision makers wake up now. We don’t have any more time, he told the BBC, adding:
– I miss my child so much. All families are in a way hostage too.