Over 500,000 Israelis protest in Tel Aviv

The rally organisers have announced that over 500,000 Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on September 7 evening, demanding the swift release of hostages held in Gaza for the past 11 months and calling for snap elections in Israel.  

The large-scale protests with similar demands took place in Jerusalem, Haifa, Kfar Saba, Beersheba, Netanya, Rehovot, and Rishon LeZion, with tens of thousands of Israelis participating in each, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media. 

The organisers noted that the Tel Aviv demonstration was the largest ever in terms of participation. At the end of the Tel Aviv demonstration, hundreds of participants refused to disperse. Subsequently, dozens of protesters began blocking the Ayalon Highway in eastern Tel Aviv. 

The police declared the demonstration illegal and detained several participants. Some protesters called for the immediate resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and demanded that snap elections must be held in Israel as soon as possible. 

Eleven months have passed since Palestinian militants from Gaza attacked Israel, which resulted in the killing of residents in border towns and the capture of 250 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation in the enclave aimed at dismantling Hamas' military and political structure and securing the release of all the captives. 

Street protests demanding the immediate release of hostages held in Gaza occur in Israel almost daily, especially since September 1, when it was reported that radical militants in Gaza had killed six Israeli hostages, including Alexander Lobanov, who also held Russian citizenship. 

Such rallies were regularly held on Saturdays, drawing tens of thousands of participants. According to Israeli authorities, Hamas is currently holding 62 hostages and 39 bodies of people previously taken captive.