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TEL AVIV: Thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding a deal to end the Gaza war as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to meet US President Donald Trump.
At least 92 people were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza, 45 of them in Gaza City, according to the territory’s civil defense agency, a rescue force operating under Hamas authority.
Protesters unfurled a large banner reading: “All Hostages, Bring Them Home Now,” as they gathered at Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square.
“The only thing that can stop the slide into the abyss is a full, comprehensive agreement that ends the war and brings all the hostages and the soldiers home,” said Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of Omri Miran, who remains captive in Gaza.
Directly addressing Trump, she urged: “Use your influence with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“Prolonging this war only puts Omri and the other hostages in even greater danger,” she said.
Netanyahu and Trump are scheduled to meet at the White House on Monday.
On Friday, Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly that Israel would “finish the job” against Hamas, even as Trump expressed optimism about a ceasefire.
“It’s looking like we have a deal on Gaza, I think it’s a deal that will get the hostages back, it’s going to be a deal that will end the war,” Trump told reporters on Thursday.
At the rally in Tel Aviv, Ronen Ohel, whose brother Alon Ohel is among the hostages, pressed Netanyahu to agree a deal.
“No letters, no declarations, no delays. There is an opportunity now, there is a moment when you can choose to be a leader,” he said.
But Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir warned Netanyahu against agreeing to a deal.
“Mr Prime Minister, you do not have a mandate to end the war without the complete defeat of Hamas,” he posted on X.
Netanyahu’s coalition government depends on support from far-right allies like Ben Gvir who oppose ending the war sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack.
During the attack, militants took 251 people hostage, 47 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.
The attack itself resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory military offensive in Gaza has killed at least 65,926 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry of Hamas-run Gaza, figures the United Nations deems reliable.

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday urged citizens to “safeguard the sacrifices made by our people” as the country marked the first anniversary of the deaths of Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine.

The militant group held a memorial event where an Iranian delegation, led by the head of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, was present alongside large numbers of Hezbollah supporters waving the organization’s flags with Lebanese, Iranian and Palestinian banners.

The ceremony followed days of political friction, during which time Hezbollah projected images of the slain leaders, who were assassinated during the group’s war with Israel, onto Raouche Rock without authorization.

The move prompted protests from lawmakers in Beirut and a government directive from Prime Minister Nawaf Salam requiring official approval for such displays.

Just back from the UN General Assembly in New York, Aoun called for cohesion in honoring the legacy of victims of the war and urged the Lebanese people to “rally around a unified, strong and just state.”

His statements came as the government seeks to disarm Hezbollah and other non-state organizations.

“Today’s threats to Lebanon, whether security related, political or economic, can only be addressed through national unity while rejecting division,” he said.

He stressed the need for “one state, one army and constitutional institutions that uphold sovereignty and dignity.”

Lebanese authorities restricted Iranian participation at the event by refusing landing permits to two aircraft carrying would-be attendees — a decision influenced by Israeli warnings against Iranian flights to Beirut during the recent hostilities.

In a meeting with Larijani, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Salam stressed the need to respect Lebanese sovereignty.

“Lebanese-Iranian relations must be built on mutual respect for both nations’ sovereignty and non-interference in domestic affairs,” Salam said.

Larijani did not respond to Salam’s comments but after talks with Berri — a Hezbollah ally — expressed Tehran’s desire for “all regional nations to be strong and independent.”

He urged countries in the region to work closely together amid “Israeli conspiracies.”

“Even if past disagreements existed, (countries) should minimize these differences and base their relationships on cooperation,” he said.

“Lebanon, despite its small geographical area, is distinguished by the greatness and strength of its people and is today considered an impregnable trench against the Israeli entity.”

When asked about the threat of an Israeli military strike against Iran, Larijani said Tehran was prepared for all possibilities.

“I do not believe the Israelis would act so foolishly. However, if they do, they will face a strong response,” he said.