Overview

• Families of the Hostages and the Disappeared led nationwide demonstrations on August 17–18 in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities pressing for a ceasefire tied to the release of captives.
• Protesters blocked roads, burned tires and held sit-ins at the homes of ministers including Ron Dermer, Yariv Levin and Nir Barkat.
• Police responded with water cannon outside Jerusalem and arrested roughly 30 participants amid reports of confrontations across the country.
• Organisers estimated around 500,000 participants, making it one of the largest mobilisations in Israel since October 2023.
• Despite the domestic unrest, Netanyahu’s security cabinet endorsed plans this week to expand ground operations in Gaza City.