Thousands of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv on Sunday at several locations. The largest protest was the one calling for elections on Kaplan Street, while a demonstration of hostages' families called for elections outside the Kirya military headquarters, and families of hostages rallying for a hostage deal at Hostage Square outside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
Protests against the government and for the release of the hostages were also held in other cities, including Jerusalem, Be'er Sheva, Caesarea, and Haifa.
Ruby Chen, the father of soldier Itai Hen, whom the IDF determined last month was killed during his kidnapping on October 7, said at the Kaplan Street demonstration that the top levels of the American administration comforted the family after the announcement of Itai's death, with President Joe Biden even giving him the number of his personal assistant so that he could talk to him "if he's having a hard day." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said, sent the family a letter just last week.
"He hides behind a letter instead of looking us in the eye," Chen said. "Netanyahu does not have the basic human quality where the leader of the people of Israel is a human being. I am ashamed for him and for all of us that this is the leader of the people of Israel,."
Itai's mother, Hagit, also spoke at the demonstration, addressing her late son : "The State of Israel did not protect you, did not foresee the disaster, did not save you, and abandons you every day," adding that "the State of Israel will not have resurrection and restoration until they return all the hostages."
At the rally in Hostage Square, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum discussed the upcoming Passover holiday and its theme of liberation.
Sophie Cohen Ben-Dror, the daughter of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, whose body has been held in Syria for 60 years, said: "Now, the lives of the hostages are so much more valuable than the death of [Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya] Sinwar … the Syrians did not agree to free my father for any price Israel could offer … the prime minister must free the hostages now. Pay the price, that is our demand. Hamas can be destroyed another day."
Michael, the father of Andrey Kozlov, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, spoke in Russian via a translator. Michael, an immigrant from Russia, where is family remains, said, "Israeli hostages get little attention. Many of the people I meet don't even know about the atrocities my son went through on October 7. When people ask 'how are you,' I don't know how to tell them that I am going through the most awful period of my life."
The responsibility of a father, he said, is to improve the life of his child, but now he is finding himself powerless. He thanked the crowd for their support, and said that "Together, we will achieve their return at any price. I believe the hostages will return to their families."
At a protest outside the Kirya military complex, which is organized every week by a group of families of hostages, Mati Danzig, a relative of Itzhk Elgarat, who was taken hostage from Nir Oz, spoke. "Benjamin Netanyahu, you could have released them a long time ago, instead you chose to maintain your wretched government. You are good at the economy, maybe you are waiting for everyone to die so that the price will go down. This nation will not forgive you, where you have come on the altar of your government you are sacrificing my father and all the hostages. For what? That you can continue to destroy this country?" Danzig said.
In Haifa, in Israel's north, thousands demonstrated against the government and demanded immediate elections. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said at the protest, "This government is not the state. This government is a disaster for the state," and "for the sake of the hostages, for the soldiers, for the evacuees, to save the State of Israel, we need elections now!"
Former IDF chief of staff, Dan Halutz, said that the Netanyahu government is an existential threat to the State of Israel and that the prime minister is not interested in the return of the hostages, "because this is the sign of the end of his rule."
Halutz also criticized the conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip, and addressed war cabinet members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, saying, "You cannot shirk your responsibility for this conduct. You are providing protection to the default government, and everything that happened to it during your six months in it. Get up and work to change the government."
Over a thousand people are protesting outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home in Caesarea in northern Israel calling for his impeachment.
Knesset member and former journalist Mickey Rosenthal said that Netanyahu is dragging the country after him "in terms of Let my Soul Die with the Philistines." Rosenthal added that "when his back is against the wall, he may also try to eliminate the possibility of replacing him in democratic elections. That is why we are here. To defend Israeli democracy with our bodies."
Hundreds of people demonstrated against the government and for the release of the hostages in Be'er Sheva in southern Israel. Former Knesset member Yair Golan spoke at the demonstration, calling for people to stand up and fight against the government.
"Regeneration and revival will only come if we take to the streets every day, and all day long. This government must understand that it has no legitimacy to rule, and it has no ability to rule because we are the people, we refuse to be ruled by a corrupt, cynical, jealous and violent group that threatens to destroy Israel," he said.
Hundreds participated in a rally for the return of the hostages in Jerusalem's Paris Square. Eyal Eshel, the father of the observer Roni Eshel who was killed at the Nahal Oz outpost, said: "I'm afraid to think that he gave up on them ... Nothing will happen as long as our government looks like it does now. Now it doesn't really look like it because our leadership is on recess. People are lagging behind And they are on vacation." Eshel also called on politicians not to speak at the Memorial Day ceremonies: "It's irrelevant and even unnecessary. Sleep better - as Smotrich said. From my lowest place I shout, it's time. The time of this government is over, they have to go ... It's time for new leadership."
Last Saturday, protests in Tel Aviv ended early following police instructions to disperse, after Israel's Home Front Command issued new instructions ahead of the Iranian missile attack. During last week's protests, police didn't allow torches to be lit, to prevent protesters from starting fires on the road.