Israel passed a dark milestone this week—600 days of war in Gaza. At the very same moment Hamas stunned Israel with its surprise attack on October 7, 2023, Israelis from coast to coast rallied in protest. Thousands stood silently at 6:29 am in defiance. Hostage families and supporters called for the release of remaining captives in Gaza.
From the early morning hours, thousands of Israelis are gathering all over the country to mark 600 days since Hamas’ vicious attack on Israel and the abduction of hundreds of men and women.
58 hostages are still held captive in Gaza.
We must bring them all home. Now.Photo… pic.twitter.com/Bbw3dheJON
— Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) May 28, 2025
They created potent human symbols, dressed in yellow, and screamed: “Save them now.” These demonstrations coincided with the stalemate in ceasefire negotiations and Israel’s continued military reaction. The passionate demonstrations also reflected intensifying pressure on Israeli politicians as war weariness deepens and assistance fails to reach Gaza.
Symbolic Protest at Sunrise
Demonstrators congregated in various places around Israel around dawn. They coincided with the precise time that Hamas started its assault last year. Protesters in Tel Aviv, close to the US Embassy, wrote 58 and 600 in the sand. These were the number of hostages remaining and the number of days since war started. The voice “Save Them Now” resonated along the beach.
Protesters had yellow shirts and yellow balloons. Others converged on Hostages Square, where a countdown digital clock ticked from day 599 to 600. It was watched in stillness by the crowd as it changed.
Emotions were strained with families expressing agony and anger. A bereaved father spoke out to the crowd. “Go out on your porch and look at us,” he said. “Our children were killed and assaulted on October 7. For 600 days, you have turned away from us. We won’t let this break us, and we’ll continue to fight.”
Netanyahu’s Vow to Bring Them Back
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu responded with a promise. “We plan to return them all, the living and the dead,” he declared. He would not mention anything about a truce.
But he emphasized that Israel would not give up until all the hostages were released. “If not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow. We are not giving up.”
Ceasefire Confusion and Aid Struggles
The confusion was further heightened earlier in the week when Hamas said it would accept a new ceasefire agreement. The group quoted a US envoy Steve Witkoff proposal, passed on by mediators. Witkoff’s office later dismissed that Hamas had embraced the conditions.
In the meantime, a US-supported relief organization finally started handing out food in Gaza. Relief distribution had been cut off for days. Panic ensued when thousands of needy Gazans swarmed the new relief centre. Israel introduced a new distribution program to compound the confusion.
The longer the war lasts, the more pressure mounts among the public in Israel. The families of the hostages are calling for action, not words. The protests at day 600 made one thing clear: time is short, and quiet is no longer an acceptable stance.
