Protesters at US embassy office in Tel Aviv demand ‘big, beautiful deal’ to bring captives home

Thousands of people join hostage families in a march to the US Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv.

Among the leaders of the march are former hostage Yocheved Lifshitz, widow of slain hostage Oded Lifshitz, and other hostages’ relatives, including the wheelchair-bound Tal Kuperstein, father of Bar Kuperstein.

Outside the US mission’s beachfront entrance, the crowd is a mass of Israeli, American and yellow flags, the latter signifying the hostages’ cause. Protesters stand behind a large banner urging US President Donald Trump to reach a “big, beautiful deal” — a nod to the name of his recent spending bill. Splayed out on the sand is a massive sign reading: “Save the hostages, end the war.”

צעדת ענק מול שגרירות ארצות הברית, בקריאה להשגת הסכם כולל להשבת החטופים ולסיום הלחימה.

חיינו בישראל ב-2025, נאחזים בטראמפ שיושיע אותנו.

צילום: פאולינה פטימר. pic.twitter.com/5h1StQjdBh

— Michal Peylan • מיכל פעילן (@michalpeylan) July 19, 2025

Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, says the families will accept nothing less than all 50 hostages, living and dead, all at once.

“We won’t be satisfied with eight hostages, not with 10 hostages and not with 49,” she says. “This is the time for Israel to choose life. This is the time to end the war in exchange for all the hostages, to give us our breath back, to let us hug our loved ones again.”

She addresses Trump in English: “Mr. President, sir, we are counting on you — you brought hostages home before, please do it again. We need you, and we need your leadership. We are begging you, help us bring our children home now.”