Thousands protest in Tel Aviv against Israeli government's intention to expand the war in Gaza

(Patria) - Thousands of people took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday to call for an end to the war in Gaza, a day after the Israeli government pledged to expand the conflict and occupy the city of Gaza, AFP reported last night.

Demonstrators waved banners and held pictures of hostages still held in the Palestinian territory, calling on the government to secure their release.

AFP journalists at the rally estimated the number of participants to be in the tens of thousands, while a group representing the families of hostages said as many as 100,000 people participated.

Authorities did not provide an official estimate, although there were significantly more people than at other recent anti-war rallies.

"We will end with a direct message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - if you attack parts of Gaza and hostages are killed, we will pursue you in town squares, in election campaigns, and at all times and in all places," Shahar Mor Zahiro, a relative of a killed hostage, told AFP.

On Friday, Netanyahu's security cabinet approved plans for a major operation to occupy the city of Gaza, sparking a wave of domestic and international criticism.

Foreign powers, including some of Israel's allies, are insisting on negotiating a ceasefire to secure the return of hostages and help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Despite the reactions and rumors of disagreement from the Israeli military leadership, Netanyahu remained firm in his decision. In a social media post late Friday, Netanyahu said: "We will not occupy Gaza - we will liberate Gaza from Hamas."

Netanyahu has faced regular protests throughout the 22-month war, with many rallies calling on the government to reach a deal after past ceasefires saw hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.

Of the 251 hostages captured during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 whom the army claims are dead.

Palestinian Authority: This is a new crime

The Palestinian Authority (PA) sharply criticized Israel's plan to expand operations in Gaza on Saturday.

According to a statement carried by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, PA President Mahmoud Abbas said the plan "constitutes a new crime" and stressed the "urgent need to take measures to stop (the plan) immediately." He also emphasized the "importance of enabling the State of Palestine to take full responsibility in the Gaza Strip."

At the same meeting where the plan for the city of Gaza was approved, the security cabinet adopted a set of principles for ending the war in Gaza, which include establishing a new "administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority."

The PA, envisioned as a first step towards a Palestinian state, exercises limited governance over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank but has no presence in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

A statement issued Saturday by the foreign ministers of Italy, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom again criticized the decision to occupy the city of Gaza.

"This will worsen the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of hostages, and increase the risk of a mass exodus of civilians," they said.

Russia also condemned Israel's plan to take control of the city of Gaza on Saturday. The implementation of such plans "risks exacerbating the already dramatic situation in the Palestinian enclave, which shows all signs of a humanitarian catastrophe," according to a statement from the foreign ministry.

Gaza's Civil Defense agency reported that at least 37 people were killed across the territory in Israeli fire on Saturday, including 30 civilians waiting to collect aid. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians. Hamas's attack on Israel in 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people.