Some 120,000 Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing his government of not doing enough to secure the release of hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Similar demonstrations were held in other Israeli cities on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the start of the war, which was sparked by an unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7. During the raid by Palestinian extremists in southern Israel, about 1,200 people were killed, while another 240 were kidnapped and taken to the Palestinian enclave.

Israel responded by pounding the Gaza Strip from the air, followed by ground operations. During a brief truce in November, 105 hostages were released in exchange for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Since then, however, no glimmers of hope have emerged for the families of the remaining hostages, who are anxious for the fate of their loved ones.

Nearly 24,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s military operation, which has vowed to crush Hamas and eliminate its presence in the Gaza Strip, according to a health ministry tally in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Netanyahu’s popularity sank after the October 7 massacre, with much of the public accusing him of failing to adequately prepare the security services for an attack of this scale.

It was preceded by a wave of mass protests against the controversial reform of the judicial system promoted by the Netanyahu government. The Supreme Court recently struck down a key law in the push for judicial reform, through which the government sought to limit his powers.