Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied over the weekend across Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other major cities, blocking thoroughfares such as Highway 90 and the Ayalon highway to demand an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and a prisoner-exchange deal that would free the roughly 49 Israelis still believed to be held by Hamas. Families of the captives led many of the demonstrations. Protesters staged a Shabbat reception on the Ayalon highway and set tables alight, while others gathered outside ministers’ homes. Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod remains in captivity, appealed directly to U.S. President Donald Trump, saying only Washington could pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas. The mounting street pressure is rippling through Israeli politics. Former defense minister Benny Gantz urged Netanyahu to form a temporary unity government without far-right coalition partners to secure a hostage deal, highlighting the governing coalition’s fragility as parliament prepares to reconvene after its summer recess. Solidarity marches were also held in cities including Ottawa, Brussels, London, Seoul, Tangier, Brighton and Melbourne, where crowds denounced Israel’s military campaign and growing hunger in Gaza. The coordinated protests underscore the widening international and domestic opposition to the nearly two-year-old war.