Israeli protesters bring Tel Aviv to a halt, demand deal to free captives

Frustration spills over as thousands of Israelis protest government’s failure to secure the release of captives in Gaza.

An estimated 750,000 Israelis have taken to the streets in one of Israel’s biggest-ever protests as they demanded that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strike a deal to free remaining captives in Gaza.

The record number of demonstrators comes a week after the Israeli Army announced it had recovered the bodies of six captives from a tunnel in southern Gaza.

Family members of Israeli captives and groups representing them blame Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government for failing to secure a truce deal that would secure their release.

More than 100 captives still remain in Gaza, but about one-third of them are believed to be dead, according to the Israeli military. A total of 105 captives were released by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons as part of a deal in November.

The Palestinians fighters led by Hamas took about 240 people captive in the wake of attack in southern Israel on October 7. At least 1,139 people were killed in the attack.