The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which organized the "Israel on Hold” protests, said that over a million people took part in the demonstrations across the country on Sunday. Per the organization, almost 500,000 protesters gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square.

"Soon the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas murderers and rapists in Gaza—until they agree to Israel's conditions for ending the war, foremost among them the release of all hostages and the dismantling of their weapons," Katz said in his post, which was originally in Hebrew.

(Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he had directed the immediate initiation of negotiations for the release of all hostages in Gaza and the conclusion of the war there on terms acceptable to Israel.