Hundreds of thousands march across Israel to demand return of hostages

Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Massive demonstrations demanding a deal to return the remaining Jewish hostages held by Hamas broke out across Israel late Saturday as protesters flooded into the streets 11 months after the start of the war in Gaza .

One of the largest demonstrations was in Tel Aviv, where videos showed what appeared to be many thousands of protesters choking Begin Road as family members of some of the estimated 101 remaining hostages implored Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike a cease-fire deal with Hamas to gain their release.

Large-scale protests were also seen in Jerusalem, Haifa, Rehovot and elsewhere in the country. Organizers claimed 400,000 people turned out for Saturday's protest in Tel Aviv, which marked the 11-month anniversary of Hamas' Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel during which the hostages were seized.

Hebrew-language media reported protesters lit bonfires and blocked Darom Park in Tel Aviv, resulting in the arrest of five protesters who allegedly tried to damage vehicles while blocking traffic and attempted to break through security perimeters.

One of the speakers at the Tel Aviv rally was former hostage Andrey Kozlov, who spent 246 days in captivity in Gaza before he was rescued by the Israel Defense Forces in " Operation Arnon ."

"We cannot allow this disaster to continue. We must demand that our leaders do whatever is necessary and to do the right thing," Kozlov said.

The latest demonstration came less than a week after an estimated 700,000 people took to the streets of Israel after six abductees' bodies were recovered in Gaza, including that of Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Many of the protesters accused Netanyahu of purposely blocking a negotiated hostage release deal in order to cling to power.

The prime minister, however, has insisted he will not accept any deal that leaves Hamas in control of the Gaza Strip and that Israel's security depends on the Palestinian militant group's "elimination."

Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon spoke at a demonstration Saturday in Herzliya where called for the immediate resignation of Netanyahu's government, according to the Israeli newspaper Maariv.

The government, he said, "needs to be replaced as quickly as possible.

"We are the majority, that's why they fear elections," he said. "We need to prepare for the transition from protest to opposition to the criminal and dangerous government, which, according to all polls, has lost public legitimacy."