Thousands gather outside Knesset to demand immediate truce-hostage deal

Thousands gather to protest outside the Knesset during an emergency meeting of the security cabinet to demand an immediate deal to release the hostages.

Many of the protesters blow whistles and trumpets to disrupt the meeting, causing a deafening noise.

Half an hour into the rally, the crowd observes a minute of silence to honor the hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza overnight.

After the minute passes, the crowd erupts again into loud whistles and shouts.

“This was the last minute of silence you will have,” shouts one of the organizers in a bullhorn, as he proceeds to read out the names of ministers. “We will not give this security cabinet a moment of quiet until all the hostages are released!”

The organizer proceeds to tell the crowd about the life of murdered hostage Hersh Polin-Goldberg, his immigration to Israel as a child with his family, and how he slowly became an Israeli.

Protester Sharon Bar Shaul says she is an acquaintance of Hersh’s father Jon and holds an image of the slain hostage. She says she woke up to great sorrow and anger upon hearing the news this morning, and adds it was her “duty” to attend.