For another consecutive week, tens of thousands of people demonstrated across Israel Saturday evening (March 29) for the release of remaining hostages held in Gaza and against the war in Gaza and the far-right government.
A rally against the government led by a coalition of protest groups was held at 6:30 p.m. at Tel Aviv’s Habima Square. After the demonstration, protesters marched to Begin Road to join hostages’ families demonstrating there at 8 p.m. Separately, a rally at Hostages Square at 8 p.m. organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, speaks during a rally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government at Habima Square, Tel-Aviv, March 29, 2025 (Photo: Avshalom Sassoni / Flash90)
At the anti-government, pro-hostage demonstration on Tel Aviv’s Begin Road at the army headquarters, Yotam Cohen, brother of captive soldier Nimrod Cohen, says the government prefers dead hostages. “The government prefers dead hostages. Dead hostages talk less. They don’t give interviews,” says Yotam Cohen, adding that if the government “doesn’t manage to kill them with military operation, they’ll kill them in roundabout ways.”
At least three persons were detained as protesters face off with police officers on the Kaplan-Begin intersection in Tel Aviv following the anti-government rally on Begin Road. One of them is Itamar Greenberg, an anti-war refuser, recently released after six months in military prison. Referring to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, the protesters chant “Ben Gvir is a terrorist” as cops and the Ben Gvir’s armed militia “National Guard” push them westward, up Kaplan Street and away from the Ayalon Highway.
Earlie, speaking to several thousands of protesters at Habima Square, Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, accuses the far-right government of carrying out a “targeted assassination” against her son, after Israel last week launched a surprise attack on Gaza, scuttling the ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas. “The hostages are held captive by Hamas, and the entire nation of Israel is held captive by Netanyahu,” she says.
Hamas released a new video in Saturday afternoon featuring hostage Elkana Bohbot. This comes just days after a previous video earlier past week showed Bohbot calling for help alongside Yosef Chaim Ohana, a young hostage from a Haredi family in Kiryat Malachi.
In yesterday’s video, Bohbot is seen crying out for help, covering his face with his hands. In the background, an image of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears on a screen. Bohbot pleads for assistance, urging action to secure his release alive, reiterating that the video was made at his personal request. The footage also shows Bohbot, a labor activist for several years, appealing to the Histadrut, asking for their help as someone who worked under their framework and demanding a general strike against the government.
Hundreds of protesters calling for a hostage deal marched Saturday night to the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem. Demonstrators carry a banner that reads: “Dermer, 59 or resign,” referring to Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who took the lead of Israel’s hostage negotiating team last month. The demonstration blocked the intersection at Paris Square, and demonstrators chanted: “Don’t say we didn’t know—ethnic cleansing is on all of us.,” and hold signs reading “refuse to be war criminals.” Other protests were held at Haifa, Beer Sheva and dozens of localities.
A poll aired Friday by Channel 12 showed that 69 percent of Israelis support ending the war in exchange for a deal that releases all remaining hostages in Gaza, compared to 21% who oppose such an agreement. Even among far-right coalition voters, a majority (54%) back such a move compared to 32% who oppose it. Asked if they trust the current Netanyahu government, 70% of respondents said they do not, compared to 27% who said they do. Even among coalition voters, just 51% said they trust the government, compared to 36% who said they do not.
According to Channel 12 and following the Attorney-General’s Office’s announcement on Wednesday of the opening of a new investigation into coalition members, over 10% of the coalition ministers and lawmakers are now under criminal investigation. This comes as MKs debate a bill that will give them immunity from police investigation.
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara announced that police would open an investigation into two MKs and one former MK who were involved in break-in of an army base in July of last year. Racist Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, Likud MK Nissim Vaturi, and former minister and former MK Zvi Sukkot will be put under criminal investigation for their part in the break-in, which occurred during protests against the prosecution of soldiers for raping a Palestinian detainee in the Sde Teiman base.
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=32556
