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‘Time to end war’: Mass Israeli rallies call for stopping Gaza genocide
The protests come more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, following 22 months of war that have created dire humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory, AFP reported.
The war was triggered by Palestinian resistance group Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israeli targets in the occupied territories, during which 251 people were taken captive.
Forty-nine captives remain in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Demonstrators also blocked roads, including the highway connecting Tel Aviv and the occupied al-Quds where they set tires on fire, according to local media footage.
Israeli police said more than 30 protesters were arrested for disturbing public order.
Organizers also called for a general strike on Sunday – the first day of the week in Israel.
"I think it's time to end the war. It's time to release all of the hostages. And it's time to help Israel recover and move towards a more stable Middle East," said Doron Wilfand, a 54-year-old tour guide, at a rally in the occupied al-Quds.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the protesters, saying their actions "not only harden Hamas's position and draw out the release of our hostages, but also ensure that the horrors of October 7 will reoccur."
Egypt said in recent days mediators were leading a renewed push to secure a 60-day truce that would include the release of captives, after the last round of talks in Qatar had ended without a breakthrough.
Some Israeli cabinet members who oppose any deal with Hamas slammed Sunday's demonstrations.
Israel's far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich decried "a perverse and harmful campaign that plays into the hands of Hamas" and calls for "surrender."
Culture minister Miki Zohar, of Netanyahu's Likud party, said on X that blocking roads and disrupting daily life was "a reward to the enemy."
The Israeli plans to expand the war into Gaza City and nearby refugee camps have sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition.
Israel's Army Radio reported on Sunday that military chief Eyal Zamir was due to review the "plans to conquer Gaza City" in a meeting later in the day.
According to the report, residents would be evacuated before troops encircle the city and finally seize it, beginning "in the coming weeks."
Israel on Saturday said it was preparing "to move the population from combat zones to the southern Gaza Strip for their protection."
UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in.
Israel's offensive has killed more than 61,944 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Health Ministry in Gaza.