Israelis Demand Ceasefire - Netanyahu Plans Escalation
- Prole Star
- Aug 20
- 4 min read
Nearly one million Israelis took to the streets on Sunday to demand a ceasefire, the return of hostages and an end to a widening offensive that could displace about a million people from Gaza City. Half a million packed Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. Other rallies filled Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheba.
The demonstrations piled pressure on a government split over whether to accept a 60-day truce that Hamas has said it will back.
The crowds were led by families of captives and by former hostages. They called for a deal to bring people home alive. Protesters also warned that a full ground push into Gaza City would risk the hostages, destroy more of the territory and force new waves of refugees.
The demand for a deal follows fresh mediation by Egypt and Qatar and a U.S.-backed proposal for phased swaps. Israel has not yet replied.
Israel has, however, continued to enact its planned takeover of Gaza City. Leaflets have been dropped telling Gazans to leave - where they are supposed to go is unclear; the map shows an arrow pointing vaguely north/northwest, not in the direction of any designated 'safe zone'. 'We don't care where you go, just anywhere but here' seems to be the message.
Netanyahu has announced plans to call up thousands of IDF reservists in preparation for the takeover of Gaza City, and has spread rumours that Hamas 'plans to move Israeli hostages into Gaza City' - unevidenced information which has not been reported outside of pro-Israel media.
The human cost inside Gaza is high. UN and aid group figures put the Palestinian death toll above 61,000 since October 2023 and report rising hunger and mass displacement across the strip. Hospitals and aid groups say famine is spreading, and both children and adults face acute malnutrition.
The protests in Israel now sit beside urgent rights claims. Amnesty International published new testimonies accusing Israel of policies that have allowed starvation to spread in Gaza and called for an immediate lift of the blockade. Human Rights Watch and other NGOs have made similar charges and called for urgent action to protect civilians. These claims have driven calls for wider international pressure and legal scrutiny.
In the UK, British Jews continue their demands for a ceasefire. A Global Strike For Gaza will take place on Thursday 21st August, called by actor Amr Waked, and widely publicised across the UK and other countries. The message is clear: Don't work. don't shop, don't bank, don't travel - don't do anything - and the aim is to severely affect the UK and other economies worldwide.
Above: Video from high-profile Palestine campaigner Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) and others, promoting the Global Strike For Gaza on Thursday 21st August.
Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir initially warned that a full occupation would carry grave risks for both soldiers and hostages - but now appears to have capitulated, telling senior IDF officers on Wednesday that Israel was:
"at a “turning point in the war,” ahead of “the next stage” of an offensive against Hamas.
“We are in the midst of a multi-front, prolonged, and unprecedented campaign. We are at a turning point in the war, ahead of moving to the next stage of Operation Gideon’s Chariots, which focuses on deepening the blow against Hamas in Gaza City”
Hard-line Israeli ministers favour a campaign to crush Hamas. What the right sees as necessary to defeat the group, many Israelis and most aid groups see as a step that will deepen the crisis and cost more lives.
Britain has joined other states in urging restraint. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Israel’s planned escalation was “wrong” and would bring more bloodshed, and he urged a ceasefire, more aid and the release of all hostages - sadly, simply a rescripting of the words he has used for at least the past 18 months; in May these included the promise of 'concrete action' if Israel did not stop its military campaign and allow aid to enter Gaza freely. Neither has happened, nor has the promised 'concrete action'.
His words fail to reflect a huge and growing UK concern about the humanitarian toll and the collapse of prospects for a two-state solution.
This moment mixes street pressure, stalled diplomacy and legal claims. If Israel accepts a phased deal the war could pause and aid reach more people. If it does not, fighting looks likely to rise and displacement to grow.
For Britain and Europe the test is whether they will back steps that protect civilians and hostages from both sides, and push for a lasting political path, not only short-term military aims. That stance will matter most to the people trapped in Gaza and to the families still waiting for their loved ones.
References
Rami Amichay and Lili Bayer, “Israelis stage nationwide protests to demand end to Gaza war and release of hostages”, Reuters, 17 August 2025, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israelis-stage-nationwide-protests-demand-end-gaza-war-release-hostages-2025-08-17/
“Hamas accepts proposed deal for ceasefire with Israel and hostage release, Egyptian source says”, Reuters, 18 August 2025, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-accepts-proposed-deal-ceasefire-with-israel-hostage-release-egyptian-2025-08-18/
“Humanitarian Situation Update #313 | Gaza Strip”, UN OCHA, 13 August 2025, https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/humanitarian-situation-update-313-gaza-strip
“Israel/OPT: New testimonies provide compelling evidence that Israel’s starvation of Palestinians in Gaza is a deliberate policy”, Amnesty International, 18 August 2025, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/08/israel-opt-new-testimonies-provide-compelling-evidence-that-israels-starvation-of-palestinians-in-gaza-is-a-deliberate-policy/
Emanuel Fabian, “IDF chief says dissent ‘vital,’ ahead of fateful meeting on Gaza occupation plan”, The Times of Israel, 7 August 2025, https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-chief-says-dissent-vital-ahead-of-fateful-meeting-on-gaza-occupation-plan/
“PM statement on the Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza: 8 August 2025”, GOV.UK (Prime Minister’s Office / Keir Starmer), 8 August 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-keir-starmers-statement-on-gaza-8-august-2025
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