Life comes before revenge,” Rudy Chen, the father of Itay Chen, an Israeli American soldier who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023, told NBC News.

Haredi protesters have frequently posted outside of Beit Lid base due to the military prison within the base. Multiple intersections were closed to traffic due to mass ultra-Orthodox protests against the conscription of haredim into the IDF,

The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza said the supply of tents and other shelter equipment to the territory would resume on Sunday ahead of the mass movement of Palestinians to the south.

A nationwide strike commenced in Israel as several hundred thousand people protested, demanding the government secure the release of 50 hostages still in Gaza held by the militant group Hamas.

Polls show that close to 80% of Israelis support stopping the fighting in exchange for the return of hostages, but the government plans to expand it.

Israeli protesters demanding a deal to free hostages in Gaza have attempted to shut down the country in one of the largest and fiercest protests in 22 months of war. Organizers asserted that

Thousands of peace activists will stand together, participating in an anti-war, anti-hunger protest in Tel Aviv backed by the Hadash Arab party. The Hadash Party called for the broadest possible participation of the Arab public to take part in an upcoming protest on Saturday in Tel Aviv that will demonstrate against starvation in Gaza and the war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to give final approval on Thursday for plans to take over Gaza City, an operation that could start within days. The widening of the 22-month offensive against Hamas appears to be proceeding despite protests in both Israel and the Palestinian enclave.