Thousands of Israelis staged protests across the country on Saturday, calling for the immediate release of hostages still held in Gaza since the October 7 Hamas-led attack. The demonstrations, held in multiple cities including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, marked one of the largest coordinated public outcries on the issue in recent weeks.

Protesters gathered in “Hostage Square” in central Tel Aviv, where relatives of captives, activists, and ordinary citizens held signs, chanted slogans, and demanded action from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The crowds urged Israeli leaders to finalize a deal that would bring the hostages home, even if it required difficult concessions.

Similar demonstrations took place in Haifa, Beersheba, Rehovot, and other cities, with coordinated messaging across the country calling for an urgent resolution to the humanitarian crisis.

Among the protestors were families of hostages who have been held in Gaza for over seven months. “We are living in limbo,” one relative told Israeli media. “Every day without a deal is another day of suffering for our loved ones.”

The nationwide protests came as indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas—mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States—remain stalled. While international mediators have repeatedly called for a cease-fire that includes a hostage release and increased humanitarian access to Gaza, a lasting agreement has yet to be reached.

Israeli officials estimate that at least 125 hostages remain in Gaza. According to Hamas, a number of them have died during Israeli airstrikes, although these claims have not been independently verified.