Thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities on Saturday in favour of the release of hostages held by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement and in opposition to the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Relatives of the hostages being held in the Gaza Strip demanded a new hostage deal and called on the government to act quickly. Several demonstrations spread across Tel Aviv and blocked central traffic arteries in the coastal metropolis. Chaotic scenes broke out between the police and demonstrators at some of the rallies. In some places, people set small fi…