Israel claimed on Tuesday an attack that killed more than 20 people at a Gaza hospital was intended to take out a Hamas surveillance camera, as it defied new pleas to call off the war.
A meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet ended with no sign of progress towards a ceasefire. Protesters blocked Israeli motorways and lined the streets of Tel Aviv during rallies demanding an end to the war.
Qatar said Israel appeared unwilling to consider a ceasefire proposal that Hamas has accepted.
And a former Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said the war "should be stopped" as he told The National of his plans to help remove Mr Netanyahu from power.
Israel was also facing renewed criticism from its usual allies on Tuesday after an attack on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis killed at least 21 people, including five journalists. An Israeli army inquiry found troops were trying to "remove a threat" by "striking and dismantling" a camera being used to spy on soldiers, the military said.
No details were given as to why a strike directly hit a crowd of people, including Palestinian rescuers and journalists, on a stairwell. They had gathered there shortly after an initial Israeli strike.
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Israeli protesters blocking a main road in Yakum near Tel Aviv during a demonstration demanding the immediate end of the war and the release of all hostages. Reuters -
Protesters in Yakum brought traffic to a standstill. Reuters -
Protestors blocked the Ayalon motorway in Tel Aviv. Reuters -
Israeli activists near the city of Lod were demanding the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas. AP -
A banner and a giant Israeli flag, with the portraits of the Israeli hostages still being held captive in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants, laid on the sands of a beach in Tel Aviv. AFP -
A demonstration near Kibbutz Amiad in northern Israel organised by the families of hostages. AFP -
Protesters in northern Israel want the violence to stop. AFP -
This protester is sitting in a cage as the main road is blocked during a demonstration. Reuters
Tens of thousands of Israelis protested on Tuesday on a day of mass action against the government's plan to seize Gaza’s main city. Critics say the military operation will have deadly consequences for Palestinian civilians and Israeli captives.
Marchers blocked motorways and demonstrated outside ministers' homes at the start of protests that culminated in a rally in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. The security cabinet meeting took place late on Tuesday, with reports suggesting the deal proposed by mediators was not on the agenda.
A forum representing most of the families of Israeli hostages said the reports were “deeply disappointing”.
“The government lacks a public mandate to continue this prolonged conflict while our loved ones remain captive. There is only one answer: people filling the streets until everyone comes home,” it said in a statement.
At least 51 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip since dawn on Tuesday, health officials said.
Dozens were injured in separate clashes in the West Bank on Thursday as Israel's army raided a currency exchange it claimed was linked to Hamas. At least 58 people were injured during the raid on the West Bank capital of Ramallah, said rescuers from the Palestine Red Crescent.
Israel is unwilling to consider the ceasefire proposal for Gaza, mediator Qatar said on Tuesday. Mr Netanyahu's government has not yet responded to the proposal, under which about half of the remaining 50 hostages would be freed during a 60-day truce.
“The ball is now in Israel's court, which appears unwilling to reach an agreement,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari told a media conference. “We call on the international community to pressure Israel."
Mr Al Ansari said that the Israeli attempts to reoccupy Gaza would not lead to positive results.
Polls show that most Israelis favour a deal to release hostages over continuing the military campaign against Hamas that has killed more than 62,800 Palestinians. There are also growing signs of major fatigue among Israeli reservists, anger in the military leadership over plans to expand fighting, and mounting concern that the war is leading Israel to unprecedented global isolation and condemnation.
Despite this, Israel’s far-right coalition continues to favour military pressure. But many critics accuse Mr Netanyahu of prolonging the war to secure his political future.
Speaking at Hostages Square, Democrats member of the Knesset Gilad Kariv said only public pressure and protests could bring back hostages.
“Without the protest for the hostages there wouldn’t have been the two deals,” Mr Kariv told a crowd, referring to previous truces that secured the release of many of the hostages. “We won’t give up. We’ll shake the country, end the war, and bring everyone home.”
The families of hostages also appealed to US President Donald Trump early on Tuesday, saying: “President Trump, you've stated that in the next two to three weeks there will be a conclusive ending to the war. We pray this is true and that you gave a deadline to end our suffering.”
Mr Trump suggested that fewer than 20 hostages are alive, out of 50, in comments in the Oval Office on Friday. The Israeli official in charge of hostage affairs denied the assessment.
The demonstration comes a week after a general strike. Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets demanding a hostage deal since the war began in October 2023.
