Israelis staged a nationwide “People’s Strike” on Sunday, demanding the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza for nearly two years. The protests have paralyzed businesses, disrupted train service and drawn thousands into the streets, with major roads blocked and at least 38 protesters arrested across the country.
Protesters on Highway 4
At nearly 4:15 p.m. rocket alert sirens sounded throughout central Israel and Jerusalem, including in Hostages Square, where hundreds are gathered. Protesters are seen ducking to the ground until the all-clear is sounded, after a missile fired from Yemen was intercepted.
Entry to Jerusalem via Highway 16, one of the city’s main access roads, was blocked for several hours, forcing police to deploy a MERV (armored riot vehicle) to clear the area.
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Protesters at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv duck down on teh ground after a rocket alert siren sounds
(Photo: Motti Kimchi)
Demonstrators also set fire to tires along Highway 4 near the Em HaMoshavot interchange, prompting additional arrests. Police emphasized that “freedom of protest does not mean freedom to block major highways or endanger public safety.”
At Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, a giant Israeli flag displaying the faces of the hostages served as the focal point for demonstrations. Former hostages, current hostages’ families and bereaved families spoke at rallies throughout the morning. Among those who arrived at the square throughout the day was Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who met and embraced Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of hostage Omri Miran.
Gal Gadot at Hostage Square
Vicki Cohen and her son Yotam, whose brother Nimrod has been held in Gaza for 681 days, addressed the crowd together. Vicki said, “Bereaved families are with us. They also want the war to end and the hostages to return. Silence kills.” Yotam added, “It can’t be that people enjoy their morning coffee while Nimrod is being interrogated and starved in captivity. All Israelis — secular and religious, right and left — must come out today and show that the war must end and everyone must return home.”
Doctors marching
Arbel Yehoud, who survived captivity in Gaza, spoke alongside fellow former hostages Yarden Bibas, whose wife and two children were murdered in captivity and Sharon Aloni Cunio, wife of hostage David Cunio. They were joined by siblings of hostages David and Ariel Cunio. “I know firsthand what it’s like to be in captivity,” Yehoud said. “Military pressure doesn’t bring hostages home — it kills them. The only way is a single, comprehensive deal without games. We must stop routine life again and again until everyone is returned.”
Families emphasized that the strike is only the beginning. Plans are underway to set up a protest encampment along the Gaza border fence to continue advocating for the hostages’ release. “Today, a whole country pressed the emergency brake,” said Anat Angrest, whose son Matan, a soldier, was abducted on Oct. 7 after his tank was hit by terrorists. “Israel halts so every soldier knows the whole nation stands behind them in a time of crisis.”
Protesters marching on Ayalon Highway
The strike was organized by the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum and the October Council, representing families of those killed in the Oct. 7 attacks. The groups, normally separate, joined forces in a rare show of solidarity.
Numerous companies and universities supported the strike, allowing employees to protest without losing work rights. Tel Aviv University, Ben-Gurion University and the University of Haifa encouraged staff and students to join. High-tech companies including Meta, Wix, Microsoft, Fiverr and Papaya Global allowed employees to participate. Municipalities also supported the protests: Tel Aviv closed community centers and pools, while Herzliya provided special transport to ferry demonstrators to Hostage Square.
President Isaac Herzog visited Hostage Square to show solidarity. “We do not forget you for a moment,” Herzog said, addressing the hostages. “We are doing everything to bring you home safely. Israel and the world must pressure Hamas to release them immediately.”
Hostage Square in Tel Aviv
(Photo: Yair Palti)
The protests drew criticism from some ministers and lawmakers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply criticized the protesters. Opening a cabinet meeting, he said, “Those calling today to end the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas’s stance and delaying the return of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of October will repeat themselves and that we will have to fight an endless war.”
Netanyahu emphasized Israel’s continued security control in Gaza as a condition for ending the war. “Hamas refuses these conditions. We insist not only on disarming Hamas but also on enforcing Gaza’s demilitarization over time, acting continuously against any attempt by terrorist groups to rearm or organize,” he said.
He warned that Hamas seeks the opposite. “It wants us completely out of the Gaza Strip — north, south through the Philadelphia corridor that prevents smuggling and from the security perimeter protecting our communities. This would allow them to reorganize, rearm and attack us again, threatening Nir Oz, Kisufim and Sderot.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich accused organizers of emotional manipulation benefiting Hamas. Other officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Transportation Minister Miri Regev, said the strikes disrupted public life and infrastructure while strengthening Hamas. Opposition leaders pushed back, calling attacks on families “divisive and harmful,” emphasizing the need to support the hostages’ return.
Train service was disrupted across several lines due to heavy demand and damage to electrified cables, though Israel Railways later reported calmer conditions and continued special shuttle services from key stations.
Demonstrations are ongoing across cities including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Karmiel, Eilat and southern Gaza-border communities such as Sha’ar HaNegev and Eshkol. Activities include marches, tractor convoys and cultural events highlighting sites affected by the Oct. 7 attacks.
Families urged the government to propose a concrete plan for a comprehensive deal. “We are united in a single demand: put an Israeli plan on the table today for a comprehensive deal to end the war and bring home the remaining hostages,” the families said. “No slogans, no sabotage — it’s time to end this nightmare that has gripped the nation for 22 months.”
First published: 07:22, 08.17.25