Tel Aviv Protests

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in downtown Tel Aviv over the weekend, calling for the government's resignation and for the return of around 120 hostages still believed to be held by Hamas. Organizers said the crowds were the largest since the beginning of the war.  

Despite the demonstrations, recent polling suggests a significant majority of Israelis support the current effort, saying the response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack has either been about right (39%) or hasn't gone far enough (34%).

Separately, at least 65 Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli strikes in both the northern and southern parts of Gaza. The death toll in Gaza has risen to above 37,400, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry (see background on the agency); the number does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant arrived in the US, where funding for the war has become a political flashpoint ahead of the November elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address Congress in person July 24. 

See further updates on the war here.