Pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to grow at home, with thousands of protesters in the country calling on him to agree to a ceasefire deal with Hamas to secure the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza.
"For nine months, you have abandoned the hostages. Netanyahu - stop dragging your feet. We want them at home and it's up to you to bring them home," the mother of a hostage told the crowd during a protest action in Tel Aviv, the Times of Israel reported.
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is still held in the coastal area, addressed protesters from inside a black cage suspended from an overpass bridge.
"There is a deal on the table that can save lives, and all of us. I want Matan at home, I want all the hostages at home now," Zangauker said.
"I want to tell Netanyahu: The keys to this cage and all the other cages are in your hands."
Demonstrations were also held in Jerusalem amid a nationwide day of protest to mark nine months since the October 7 attacks on Israel.
Thousands of protesters marched to Netanyahu's official residence, calling for the ongoing indirect negotiations with Hamas over a ceasefire-for-hostages deal to finally yield results. Demonstrators also called for new elections.
The talks on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt are expected to resume in Cairo in the coming days, after they had stalled for weeks.
The latest proposal on the table is a three-stage plan laid out by the US weeks ago. It initially provides for a temporary ceasefire and the exchange of female, elderly and sick hostages for a larger number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
During the temporary ceasefire, the sides are to negotiate an end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages.