Protesters across several areas in Israel took to the streets on Tuesday morning, blocking roads to demand an agreement for the release of hostages held in Gaza, just hours before a scheduled security cabinet meeting to discuss the war in the Palestinian territory. Journalists from AFP witnessed demonstrators blocking roads in Tel Aviv, waving Israeli flags and pictures of hostages taken since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Israeli media reported other protesters gathering near the US mission branch and homes of ministers across the country. Hajit Hin, whose son was kidnapped in the 2023 attack, stated, “There is an offer on the table. We demand our leaders sit at the negotiation table and not leave until an agreement is reached,” according to a statement from the Hostages Families Forum which called for the protests. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman announced the security cabinet would meet Tuesday evening in Jerusalem.

Although the agenda was not announced, local media said it would discuss resuming ceasefire negotiations and releasing hostages in Gaza. In early August, the Israeli security cabinet approved a plan to control Gaza City in the northern sector, sparking new protests involving tens of thousands in recent weeks. Last week, Netanyahu ordered immediate talks to release all remaining detainees in Gaza while emphasizing continuing the plan to control the largest city in the sector. The announcement came days after Hamas accepted a new ceasefire proposal by mediators, including releasing Israeli detainees in two phases during a 60-day initial truce in exchange for releasing Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Of the 251 people taken hostage and transferred to Gaza in the 2023 attack, 49 remain in the sector, with the army stating 27 have died. The Hamas attack on Israel killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to AFP’s count based on official Israeli data.

Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed at least 62,744 people, mostly civilians, according to the latest figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.