TEL-AVIV - Thousands of protesters gathered en masse in the streets of Tel-Aviv, the largest city in Israel , this Saturday, 11, to demand, with the hope that it will be for the last time, the release of the hostages held for two years by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In the act, the protesters left no doubt about who they attributed credit for the imminent return of the captives.

"Thank you, Trump! Thank you, Trump!" chanted the crowd filling the Tel Aviv square known as Hostage Square, as Steve Witkoff, President Trump's Middle East envoy, spoke at the podium, flanked by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, the president's daughter and son-in-law.

Witkoff spoke emotionally about the hostages' families, saying their courage had affected him in a way he had never felt before.

“I dreamed about tonight,” he said, alluding to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that he and Kushner helped negotiate, which calls for the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners by Monday.

"I just wish the president were here," Witkoff added in his speech, which was broadcast live on Israeli television."He would love that."

Israelis have gathered by the thousands on Saturday nights for most of the past two years, demanding that all hostages still held in Gaza be brought back “now!”

Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, which took effect at noon on Friday, all living hostages in Gaza must be returned to Israel within 72 hours. Israel believes 20 of the hostages held by Hamas are still alive.

“Our fight is not over and will not end until the last hostage returns home!” said the Hostage Families Forum, an organization that advocated for a settlement for the hostages throughout the war and represents many of their families.

“The entire nation holds its breath in anticipation” of the hostages’ return, the group added.

Events across the country

Demonstrations also took place in other locations in Israel, including a square in Jerusalem near Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's residence.

In contrast to the enthusiasm and gratitude shown to Trump and his aides, however, the crowd in Tel Aviv greeted with boos Witkoff's attempts to thank Netanyahu for his role in the ceasefire efforts.

Just a few weeks ago, Netanyahu criticized protesters calling for an end to the war and a deal to free the hostages, accusing them of “toughening Hamas’ stance” and delaying the return of the captives.

The prime minister's critics, in turn, have accused him of prolonging the war to appease his far-right political allies, whose support he depends on to remain in power.

As part of the agreement, the remains of hostages who died in captivity in Gaza would also be released. However, according to Israeli authorities, it will likely take longer for all deceased hostages to be located and returned to Israel.

The government said it believes the remains of 26 hostages are still in Gaza, while the condition of two others has not been confirmed. They are among the approximately 250 people who were kidnapped during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and triggered the war.

In the months leading up to the ceasefire agreement, many Israelis said they were disheartened and doubtful that the weekly demonstrations were having any effect on the government.

But many attended anyway, saying that, at the very least, they wanted to keep the hostages in the public eye and support the captives' families—assuring them that they were not alone.

“We understand that there wasn’t enough talk about the hostages, we understand that we have to support the families,” said Yael Elraz Shapira, 57, an organizational psychologist who participated in most of the protests.

“The least we could do was show solidarity,” she said Saturday, on her way to the square.

Elraz Shapira added that seeing other people every week who also felt it was important to be there gave him hope and a sense that the long-polarized country could “start to heal.”

The demonstrations did not go unnoticed by Trump, who in September announced a proposal to end the war that led to the ceasefire agreement. He appeared flattered by the protesters' pleas, who increasingly focused on him and his leadership as their only hope of bringing their loved ones home, with many holding signs calling for his personal intervention.

Standing alongside Netanyahu at the White House late last month, presenting the draft proposal, Trump referred to the protests."They have my name there. They like me," he said.

He added: "They say two things: please bring the hostages back and please end the war. They're tired of it."