Hundreds of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv and other cities on Saturday, protesting the ongoing Middle East war.
Weekly demonstrations, launched on February 28 against Israel and US operations targeting Iran, initially drew only a handful of participants.
Crowds have grown gradually, though they remain far smaller than the tens of thousands who protested last year in Gaza.
Former parliamentarians and left-wing organisations, including Standing Together, Peace Now, and Women Wage Peace, joined Saturday’s rallies across multiple cities.
AFP footage showed police forcibly removing demonstrators in Tel Aviv, while activists filmed similar scenes in the northern city of Haifa.
Under wartime security guidelines, Israeli authorities ban gatherings exceeding 50 people due to daily missile barrages from Iran and Lebanon.
Organisers acknowledged the protests had not received authorisation, defying regulations amid escalating tensions and nationwide security alerts.
In Tel Aviv, security forces pushed back demonstrators forcefully, knocking several to the ground and restraining at least one in a chokehold.
Police confirmed dispersal of the “illegal demonstration” after the Home Front Command clarified that the gathering violated emergency regulations.
Thirteen protesters were arrested in Tel Aviv, and five more detained in Haifa after blocking roads and defying police instructions.
Standing Together accused authorities of attempting to silence dissent, claiming the government fears the expansion of anti-war protests nationwide.
Participants voiced frustration over unclear objectives and an uncertain end to the conflict, describing the war as Prime Minister Netanyahu’s “game plan”.
Public support remains strong among Jewish Israelis, with a recent poll showing 78 percent backing the war, compared with 19 percent of Arab Israelis.
However, opposition has gradually grown, rising from four percent in early March to 11.5 percent now, reflecting a slowly shifting public mood.