As thousands took to the streets nationwide on Sunday demanding a ceasefire-hostage deal, President Isaac Herzog took aim at international hypocrisy, but his remarks could just as easily have been directed at Israelis.

Speaking at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv — the epicenter of public grief and protest since October 7, 2023 — Herzog denounced the international community’s posture toward Israel and sought to redirect domestic anger away from Jerusalem and back toward Gaza.

“I say to the international media and decision makers: Stop being a bunch of hypocrites. Tell Hamas: no deal, no nothing, until you release them,” Herzog declared, his voice carrying over a crowd that included families of hostages still held in Gaza.

Herzog reminded the world that 681 days have passed since hundreds of Israeli civilians were dragged into captivity. “Our sons and daughters are there in the dungeons of Gaza,” he said. “We want them home as soon as possible. The world should want them back home as soon as possible.”

The president was flanked by Sharon Sharabi, whose brother Eli survived 491 days in Hamas captivity after losing his wife and daughters on October 7, and by Yael Adar, mother of fallen soldier Tamir Adar, whose body remains in Hamas hands.

LACKING CLARITY? The message from the protestors suggests Israel’s government turned down or blocked a Gaza deal. Photo by Erik Marmor/Flash90

Divided streets

While Herzog’s appeal focused outward, Israel’s political tensions were on full display across the country. Demonstrations clogged major highways and squares in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, with protesters blaming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition for failing to secure a deal. This despite the fact that US President Donald Trump and his administration have laid all the blame for the lack of a deal at Hamas’s doorstep.

Many of the demonstrators were families of hostages and fallen soldiers who accused the Netanyahu government of sacrificing their loved ones for political survival.

But the protests also exposed deep divisions: other families of hostages — including several visible at Hostage Square — condemned the demonstrations, arguing they serve Hamas by undermining Israel’s unity and resolve. “Every protest that weakens our leadership only strengthens the terrorists,” one bereaved father told local media.

SERVING HAMAS: The scenes of deep division in Israel are a boon to Hamas. Photo by Erik Marmor/Flash90

Political heat on Netanyahu

The protests increase pressure on Netanyahu, already under fire from both international critics and coalition partners. Opposition leaders accuse him of prioritizing political longevity over a deal that could free captives. Government loyalists counter that yielding too much in negotiations would reward Hamas and invite further attacks.

Herzog, in his remarks, avoided direct criticism of the prime minister, and instead placed responsibility squarely on Hamas and its international enablers: “When you know how to press, you press, press and tell Hamas, ‘no deal, no nothing, until you release them.’”

A nation torn, but watching Gaza

Nearly two years after the horrors of October 7 — the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust — Israel remains locked in a battle both military and moral. The protests show a nation divided over how to bring its sons and daughters home, but united in knowing who took them there.

Herzog’s message was clear: the true obstacle is not in Jerusalem, but in the tunnels of Gaza.

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