Gal Gadot visits Hostages Square amid nationwide strike urging release

‘Wonder Woman’ star, an outspoken advocate for the captives, meets with their relatives, including former hostage Yocheved Lifshitz

By Ariela Karmel

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17 August 2025, 4:18 pm

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Ariela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.

Israeli actress Gal Gadot stopped by Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Sunday to show support for the families of the hostages during a nationwide strike opposing the government’s decision to expand the war in Gaza while negotiations for a deal to release the remaining 50 captives are stalled.

The “Wonder Woman” actress met with a handful of relatives of the hostages while visiting the square, including Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker; and former hostage Yocheved Lifshitz, whose husband Oded was murdered in captivity by Hamas and his body returned to Israel in a deal earlier this year.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum also released a video of Gadot speaking with and embracing Lishay Miran-Lavi, the wife of hostage Omri Miran. In the footage, Miran-Lavi can be heard thanking Gadot for coming out to support the families.

Gadot, who does not currently reside in Israel but has been in the country for the past few weeks, has been an outspoken advocate on social media and elsewhere for the hostages and their families since the brutal Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, that started the war.

Earlier this year, she said that the events of October 7 pushed her to speak publicly about charged political issues, “even if it’s extremely uncomfortable.”

Last month, the Hollywood star sat down with a group of released female hostages. In a video from the meeting shared by former captive Doron Steinbrecher on Instagram, Gadot told the women that they were “an inspiration and give strength to all of us.”

גל גדות הגיעה לכיכר החטופים כדי לחזק את משפחות החטופים שם פגשה בין היתר את לישי לביא מירן pic.twitter.com/7NCMawtfin

— Gil mishali גיל משעלי (@gilmishali) August 17, 2025

The daylong protest at Hostages Square is one of dozens of demonstrations being held across Israel on Sunday as part of the nationwide strike organized by the October Council, a group of bereaved families and the relatives of the hostages.

The organization initiated the strike after Israel’s security cabinet voted earlier this month to expand the fighting in Gaza and conquer Gaza City despite warnings from security officials that doing so would almost certainly endanger the hostages.

Hundreds of local authorities, businesses, universities, tech companies and other organizations are participating in the strike or have allowed employees to join if they wish to.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.