Why are hundreds of thousands of people protesting across Israel?

Israel is being rocked by mass protests as popular pressure mounts on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition cabinet to secure a ceasefire deal in Gaza that would see the 90 or so remaining captives thought to remain in Gaza brought home.

A general strike, called by the powerful Histadrut union, had to be halted after the government petitioned for an injunction against the action, deeming it “political”.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have packed streets across the country in the largest demonstrations since the war on Gaza began, calling for the government to strike a deal.

Are these the first mass protests under the current government?

Not at all.

From January 2023 to the Hamas-led attack of October 7 during which 1,139 people were killed and some 240 taken captive, there were widespread demonstrations against Netanyahu’s judicial changes proposal.

The proposal, if passed, would have increased his government’s power over the judiciary and, critics said, helped Netanyahu avoid corruption charges.

Despite popular opposition, in July Netanyahu’s government succeeded in passing a key reform limiting the Supreme Court’s power to overrule government decisions based on “reasonableness”.

Protests by the families of those taken on October 7 have also roiled domestic Israeli politics since the outbreak of the war on Gaza with a consistent campaign to pressure the Israeli government.

Are these the same protesters who were against Netanyahu before the war?

In the main, yes, but there are many more.

“Sure, many of the current demonstrators are the same that turned out to protest against the judicial reforms. However, there are many more this time, and they’re from a much wider group,” Israeli pollster and a former aide to several senior political figures, Mitchell Barak, told Al Jazeera from Jerusalem.

“Young people are also demonstrating, because many of those taken on October 7th [from the Nova music festival or the young soldiers taken that day] were around the same age, and the responsibility for defending the country falls on their shoulders,” he said.

What prompted these demonstrations?

Grief and frustration.

Many protesters suspect that Netanyahu and members of his cabinet are deliberately stalling a deal.

Frustration over delays reached a tipping point on Saturday when Israeli forces operating in Gaza discovered the bodies of six captives.

So far, Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians and levelled much of Gaza during 11 months of war.

In November of last year, negotiators succeeded in securing a temporary ceasefire for seven days, giving hope to many of the families now demonstrating.

That ceasefire saw the release of 105 Israeli captives by Hamas, in return for 210 Palestinian prisoners, mainly women and children, being held by Israeli forces.

Do Palestinians feature in the demonstrators’ demands?

Not really.

Most of the protests are focused exclusively on having the captives returned.

“The issue of returning the hostages is centre stage,” Israeli analyst Nimrod Flaschenberg said.

“An understanding that a deal would also mean an end to the conflict is there, but rarely stated,” he continued, adding that while a few voices among the demonstrators were calling for an end to the conflict, “as far as the protests’ leadership goes, no, it’s all about the hostages.”

Are all Israelis on the same side in this?

No.

The numbers protesting are enormous but while demonstrators are passionate about their cause, so, too, are Netanyahu’s supporters.

Netanyahu has tried to focus on his pledge that Hamas, which appeared to admit to killing the six captives, would pay a “heavy price”, rather than acknowledge accusations of stalling on a deal.

Supporting him are the right wing and Zionist nationalists, represented in the coalition cabinet by the finance and national security ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Smotrich opposed the general strike, claiming it helped “the interests of Hamas” and petitioned the attorney general to halt the strike action.

Ben-Gvir was also critical of the protesters. Addressing a counterprotest in Jerusalem, by the families of Israeli soldiers killed in active service, he said: “We’re using our power in the government to prevent a reckless deal.

“With Hamas you need to speak only between gunsights,” he added.

Have the protesters been treated fairly?

Alon-Lee Green, president of the group Standing Together, said the police used a “tough hand” with the demonstrators.

Members of Standing Together were protesting in Jerusalem, he said, adding: “They arrested around 20 people at last night’s protest, which included many of our members.

“It’s Ben-Gvir, pure and simple,” he said.

“He doesn’t influence the police any more. Since he was able to appoint his own police chief in August, he controls the police.”