Mass rally in Tel Aviv calls for end to war

Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered on Sunday evening in Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages, one of the largest demonstrations in Israel since the start of the fighting in 2023.

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The rally was the culmination of a day of nationwide protests and a general strike to pressure the government to halt the military campaign.

"Bring them all home! Stop the war!" shouted the vast crowd which had converged on the so-called "Hostage Square" in Tel Aviv plaza — a focal point for protesters throughout the war.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, the initiator of the day of protest, estimated that about 500,000 people joined the evening demonstration in Tel Aviv — a figure not confirmed by the police.

"We demand a comprehensive and achievable agreement and an end to the war. We demand what is rightfully ours — our children," said Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan and a leading figure of the protest movement.

"The Israeli government has transformed a just war into a pointless war," she told the crowd.