Thousands of Israelis organized massive protests in various cities, especially in Tel Aviv, demanding the immediate release of all hostages held in the Gaza Strip. The demonstrators raised banners and pictures showing the hostages, urging the Israeli government and world leaders to intervene urgently to end the suffering of those detained.

In the context of the protests, a promotional video was released showing young Evtar David, who was martyred in October 2023 during a Hamas attack, suffering from severe emaciation and being forced to dig "his own grave," in an attempt to increase pressure on the government to find a quick solution. His brother Eli said that Hamas uses the prisoners "as live starvation experiments."

The Forum of Families of Hostages and Missing Persons reported that about 60,000 people protested in Tel Aviv, demanding an end to the nightmare that has lasted for more than 666 days, and reaching a comprehensive agreement to return all 50 hostages and end the fighting. Sources confirmed that 50 hostages are still held, at least 20 of whom are alive, by Hamas and other Palestinian groups.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for an end to the war in Gaza, pointing out that the majority of the Israeli people no longer support the continuation of military operations, demanding a political decision that ensures the return of the hostages and halts the escalation. Lapid stated on the "X" platform that "Israel cannot wage a war without the support of the people, and it is time to end it."

In official statements, former Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot criticized the current government, considering that Netanyahu and his ministers are responsible for the failure in managing the war and poor planning, which led to a tragic situation, as he published videos showing Israeli prisoners in the grip of Hamas, which increased international and local pressure on the government to make urgent decisions.

Estimates indicate that indirect negotiation efforts with Hamas for the release of hostages have so far failed, amid significant military escalation by Israel in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 60,000 Palestinians, mostly women, children, and the elderly, since the war began in October 2023, which erupted after a Hamas attack on Israeli areas that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Israelis and the detention of 250 others in Gaza.