I reported live from Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, where thousands gather every week for the End the War and Release the Hostages protests.

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On the surface, these rallies look like they’re about one thing: getting loved ones home. But after speaking to people on the ground, it was clear that much of this is still about the same anti-Netanyahu protests we saw before October 7.

When I asked, many confirmed they had also been part of the left-wing judicial reform protests against Benjamin Netanyahu. Of course, the protesters genuinely want the hostages freed, but it doubles as another chance to keep pressure on the Prime Minister.

Some were blunt about their frustrations. “They are monsters who don’t care about the hostages. They don’t care,” said one, accusing the government of sabotaging deals. Another argued, “We are Israeli patriots and fighting for our country while having a crazy government, totally lunatic.”

🚨 Heartbroken hostage families take to the streets outside Benjamin Netanyahu's home. Their demands are often contradictory, yet Western media misrepresent the story to push an anti-Israel agenda.

See and hear the truth for yourself.

👉 https://t.co/MoqQa5zCcC pic.twitter.com/92qB1srgiM

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) September 24, 2025

Back home in Australia, the ABC frames these rallies as if they’re aligned with the global pro-Palestinian protests. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. These people are flying Israeli flags, calling themselves patriots. They don’t want to see their country destroyed; they’re more at odds with the government leading it.

What was more obvious wasn’t the anger, but the civility. Even in heated debates, left and right in Israel can stand together in the same square, and wave the same flag. It’s perhaps the only place where I can grill protesters in the middle of a war and still feel completely safe.