Protestors demand release of Gaza hostages ahead of Israel's Memorial Day

Tel Aviv [Israel], May 12 : The streets of various Israeli cities were filled with demonstrators, clamouring for the release of all hostages held in Gaza ahead of Israel's Memorial Day, CNN reported.
Protestors called for the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demanded early elections.
Among the participants were families of hostages held in Gaza, joining anti-government protests in Tel Aviv, Caesarea, Rehovot, and Haifa.
As Israel prepared to observe Memorial Day from Sunday evening, many waved Israeli flags and brandished signs featuring images of the Israeli hostages, urging the government to secure their safe return.

Following Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, around 240 individuals were taken hostage and transported to Gaza, resulting in over 1,200 fatalities. While a release deal in November freed over 100 hostages, the Israel Defence Forces believe that 132 hostages remain in Gaza, with 128 of them taken on October 7. It is suspected that only 92 of the 128 are still alive, according to CNN.
Yael Adar, mother of Tamir Adar who was abducted on October 7 and pronounced deceased in January, expressed her anguish during a rally, longing for her son's return for a proper burial.
"For 90 days, we fought for his return alive, 90 days of hoping that Tamir would return to us, to the bosom of the family - a hope that vanished with the news that he was no longer alive," Adar lamented.
"Since then, all we ask is to bring Tamir and all the murdered hostages back for burial, here in the land they loved. To grant Tamir the burial he deserves. To grant us closure, to have a grave where we can be with his memory," she added.
Hagit Chen, mother of Itay Chen who was killed on October 7, implored Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to facilitate the return of all hostages, urging for rehabilitation of the living and respectful burials for the fallen.
"How much more suffering can one take? I turn to the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu: It is time that you bring them all back! The living for rehabilitation and the fallen for a respectful, appropriate Jewish burial," Chen pleaded.
The protests coincided with claims from the Al Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, stating that one of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza had died over a month ago.
Abu Obaida, the spokesperson for the military wing, announced on Telegram that Nadav Popplewell, abducted in 2023 from Kibbutz Nirim, had succumbed to wounds sustained during an Israeli airstrike.
"His health condition deteriorated and he died because he did not receive intensive medical care," Obaida asserted.
Popplewell, a dual British-Israeli citizen, was seized alongside his mother, Channah Peri, who was released in November as part of a hostage deal. His brother Roi was killed in the same incident.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office refrained from confirming Popplewell's status, while the Israel Defence Forces declined to comment.
The United Kingdom's Foreign Office expressed its pursuit of more information about Popplewell's situation.
"The UK government has been working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages, including British nationals. We will continue to do all we can to secure the release of hostages," the office affirmed, CNN reported.