Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel - August 17, 2025 Video filmed by X user One citizen shows an aerial view of a vast crowd filling city streets surrounded by tall buildings and construction sites. The footage, captured during evening or night, reveals the scale of a major protest stretching along a main road and surrounding areas. One citizen wrote: “Real-time images from the great march… gathering all of today’s protesters. Two thousand at most.” Thousands of Israelis joined a nationwide strike on Sunday in solidarity with families of hostages held in Gaza. Demonstrators urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war and secure the release of captives. Crowds waved Israeli flags and held up photos of hostages. The sound of whistles, horns, and drums echoed at rallies across the country. Some protesters blocked highways, including the main route linking Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. “Today, everything stops to remember the highest value: the sanctity of life,” said Anat Angrest, mother of hostage Matan Angrest, while addressing reporters in a Tel Aviv square. Israeli actress Gal Gadot, known for her roles in Wonder Woman and Fast & Furious, met families of hostages in Tel Aviv. By early afternoon, police detained 38 protesters. Some scuffled with officers as roads were cleared. Demonstrations were briefly halted when air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and other cities, warning of a missile launched from Yemen. The missile was intercepted without causing damage. Netanyahu told his cabinet that ending the war without defeating Hamas would “ensure that the horrors of October 7 will repeat themselves over and over again.” He vowed to press ahead with plans for Israeli forces to seize Gaza City. The Hostages Families Forum warned: “There is no time – not for the lives wasting away in hell, nor for the fallen who may vanish in the ruins of Gaza.” Hamas called Netanyahu’s plan “criminal,” saying it would displace hundreds of thousands from Gaza City. According to Gaza health officials, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed during the Israeli campaign, including at least 29 on Sunday. Israel says 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’ October 2023 attack, with 251 taken hostage. Around 400 Israeli soldiers have died in Gaza since then. Opposition leader Yair Lapid, present at a Tel Aviv rally, praised the movement: “The only thing that strengthens the country is the wonderful spirit of the people who are going out from home today for Israeli solidarity.”