Protesters demand hostage deal in demonstration outside IDF headquarters

Anti-government protesters demanding a hostages and ceasefire deal begin blocking Tel Aviv’s Begin Street for a few minutes at a time, imploring drivers to get out of their cars and join the demonstration.

“This is not just hostage families’ struggle, it’s the struggle of every citizen in a country that wants life,” says one megaphone-wielding protester to the drivers, some of whom honk sympathetically. She promises the drivers they’ll be able to pass soon, “with the hope that you’ll come back tomorrow and join us.”

This is the 11th day of daily demonstrations on Begin Street. The protests were stepped up after the army last Sunday announced it recovered six executed hostages from Gaza.

“We don’t want more funerals, [both] nations want to live,” chant the roughly 75 protesters currently gathered.