Thousands of demonstrators held simultaneous rallies in Tel Aviv, Caesarea and Jerusalem on Saturday evening to pressure the government to do more to immediately release the more than 130 hostages held in Gaza by Palestinian terrorists since the October 7 onslaught.

The rallies, organized by the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, featured speakers who demanded an end to the fighting in Gaza and an exchange with Hamas for the hostages’ return. Hamas has demanded a ceasefire as one of several preconditions for any deal, according to media reports.

Separate anti-government rallies were also held in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation.

Jewish-American rapper Matisyahu kicked off the main rally what is now known as Hostages Square, at the entrance to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, telling the crowd: “You’ll have my voice, and all I’ll be thinking is the return of the hostages.”

The artist, whose real name is Matthew Paul Miller, performed a song about antisemitism featuring multiple allusions to the Holocaust, followed by his well-known hit “One Day.”