FAMILIES of Israeli hostages held by Hamas led protests tens of thousands strong in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu halt his renewed assault on Gaza and return to negotiations.

Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, asked Mr Netanyahu at the Tel Aviv demo: “How do you go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning? How do you look in the mirror knowing that you’re abandoning 58 hostages?”

Fifty-eight of the original 250 hostages seized by Hamas during its October 7 2023 cross-border attack on Israel, which killed 1,139 Israelis, remain in the Palestinian group’s hands after 19 months of Israel’s invasion, which has killed over 50,000 Palestinians.

Protesters slammed the PM’s nominee for a new head of security agency Shin Bet, Major General David Zini.

General Zini has been reported by Israel’s Channel 12 stating: “I oppose hostage deals. This is a forever war.”

“The families of the kidnapped are outraged by the words of Major General Zini. If... true, these are shocking and condemnable words coming from someone who will be the one to decide the fate of the kidnapped men and women,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated.

Relatives of the hostages allege that Israel’s stated war aims, the return of the hostages and the military defeat of Hamas, has been superseded by a war of conquest and annihilation, partly motivated by Mr Netanyahu’s personal fear the end of the war could mean the end of his career and criminal charges on corruption allegations.