In renewed protests, hostage’s mother calls on Trump to demand end to the war in Gaza

From CNN’s Nic Robertson and Oren Liebermann

Viki Cohen, the mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, speaks at kibbutz Nir Oz, Israel, on April 20.

Amir Cohen/Reuters

As renewed protests against the war in Gaza begin tonight in Israel, the mother of a hostage is calling on US President Donald Trump to demand an end to the conflict.

Viki Cohen, mother of 20-year-old Nimrod Cohen, told CNN she feels there is “momentum” now to end the war and to bring all of the hostages home.

“Even (though) we were disappointed before so many times, now we feel that it’s a little different. Trump is very demanding and we believe in him. We trust him. And we know he has the power to stop the war,” Cohen said as she prepared to participate in a protest in Tel Aviv.

“He can pressure our prime minister to do it, to finish the war in Gaza. And in this way all the hostages can come home, and my son among them.”

There are 50 hostages still held in Gaza, of which at least 20 are believed to be alive.

The weekly anti-war and anti-government protests that have packed the streets of Tel Aviv and other cities were forbidden during the 12-day conflict with Iran because of emergency guidelines prohibiting large gatherings. With the restrictions lifted, organizers are renewing the protests, particularly in light of the ceasefire with Iran.

Trump said Friday he believes a ceasefire will be agreed to in Gaza “within the next week.”

“We hope that now it’s the momentum to bring all the hostages back home after the fight with Iran,” Cohen said. “Iran gives a lot of support to Hamas, and now they don’t have Iran anymore. We finished with Hezbollah, so now there is no threat, and it’s time to finish the war in Gaza and to bring them all home.”

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Hostages in Gaza are not “bargaining chips,” says Israeli lawmaker in call for ceasefire

 

From Dana Karni and Oren Liebermann

The hostages held in Gaza for more than 630 days of war should not be treated as “bargaining chips,” said Israeli lawmaker Yair Golan on Saturday, calling for a ceasefire and hostage deal at an anti-government protest in Haifa.

“The hostages are not bargaining chips. They are our brothers and sisters,” said Golan, head of the left-wing Democrats party. “The soldiers fighting in Gaza are our sons and daughters. And anyone who does not place their return at the top of the national priority list — is neither a Zionist nor worthy of leadership.”

Golan, who has been sharply critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, added that Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza “serves only the survival of the coalition.”

The country’s ceasefire with Iran, achieved after 12 days of conflict, has led to a renewed push from mediators to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Protesters across Israel — forbidden from organizing their demonstrations for the last two weeks because of emergency guidelines during the conflict with Iran — are now packing the streets of major cities in Israel, including Tel Aviv and Haifa.

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Tel Aviv rally caps a day of protest in Israel

 

rom Dana Karni and CNN's Jonny Hallam

Protesters march along the streets of Haifa, Israel, carrying Israeli flags and yellow flags for the hostages. The sign says "Enough with the wars" following Israel's 12-day conflict with Iran and the war in Gaza, which has surpassed 630 days. The red flag is an anti-government protest symbol.

Eilat Markovitch

The large rally happening now in Tel Aviv comes at the end of a day of protest in Israel, with several smaller demonstrations held across the country demanding an end to the war in Gaza and return of Israeli hostages.

In the northern Israeli port city of Haifa, demonstrators held up signs demanding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leave office.

“The war must end, the hostages must return, the government must fall!” one read. “How much more blood will be spilled before the guilty one goes?” read another.

At Alonim Junction in northern Israel, demonstrators held up hands covered in red paint and chanted, “We have no soldiers for the wars for Netanyahu’s welfare.”

In the central Israeli city of Ness Ziona, protesters held a large banner that simply said: “End this f***ing war.”

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Tens of thousands pack Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to call for end to Gaza war and return of hostages

 

From CNN’s Mike Schwartz and Oren Liebermann

Tens of thousands of anti-war protesters packed Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday to call for an end to the Gaza war and a return of the remaining hostages.

“It’s big, it’s vibrant, it’s noisy,” CNN’s Nic Robertson, who is at the scene, said of the atmosphere.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum estimated that 30,000 people came out.

Many held signs showing pictures of the hostages that said, “Bring them home now,” a frequent refrain during the weekly protests. Others held signs that appealed to US President Donald Trump to step in and demand an end to the war.

One sign said, “President Trump, end the crisis in Gaza! Nobel is waiting!”

Trump was part of the effort to secure a ceasefire after 12 days of conflict between Israel and Iran. He also demanded that the Israeli military stop what the government said would be a major attack on Iran, prompted by a ballistic missile launch at northern Israel after the ceasefire went into effect. Israel instead targeted a radar north of Tehran.

Trump’s perceived ability to force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hand has led many protesters to renew their calls for him to step in and force an end to the war in Gaza.

Ruby Chen — the mother of Itay Chen, who was killed in the October 7, 2023, attacks and whose body is still being held in Gaza — said the right thing to do was to “return all the hostages, even at the price of ending the war.”

“Bibi, the return of the hostages is not surrender, it is being Jewish,” Chen said, addressing Netanyahu by his nickname. “Mr. Prime Minister, now is the time to go for it and not to have political considerations. Bring the 50 hostages home already.”

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Arab lawmaker, facing impeachment in Israel, calls for unity at anti-war protest

 

Ayman Odeh, an Arab lawmaker in Israel facing impeachment proceedings, called for unity and a ceasefire at an anti-war protest in Kfar Saba, central Israel.

“We must reach a comprehensive deal. We must bring back all the hostages. We must end the war on Gaza,” said Odeh, who leads the Hadash-Ta’al party in Israel’s parliament. “Enough! Enough with the wars!”

In an appeal to the crowd, Odeh said, “I am your partner. And you are my partners. Yes, there are differences, there are disagreements, but I want you to know: I am your partner, because my soul still yearns for freedom. I am your partner, because I still believe in humanity.”

Odeh, who was invited to speak by the organizers of the protest, concluded his remarks by calling to continue the demonstrations. “After so much death, suffering, and tears, better days will come. We will bring them,” he told the crowd.

Odeh speaks at the protest Saturday.

Danor Aharon

Some background: Odeh faces impeachment proceedings following a post on social media at the beginning of the last Israel-Gaza ceasefire in January, which hailed the release of “(Israeli) hostages and (Palestinian) prisoners.” The post outraged right-wing members of Israel’s parliament, called the Knesset, who initiated the proceedings.

In a subsequent defense of the post, Odeh said many of the prisoners released were minors who had not been charged with any crime.

“While it is clear that many of you tend to see primarily the Jewish suffering, I see and feel the suffering of both peoples,” Odeh said.

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Top Iranian official appears on state news following reports of his death in an Israeli airstrike

 

From CNN’s Azadeh Akbari

Iranian state news on Saturday aired an apparent interview with Ali Shamkhani — a close aide to Iran’s supreme leader who had previously been reported dead by both Israeli and Iranian media.

Mystery mounted about Shamkhani’s fate in the days after he was reported dead following Israel’s June 13 strikes on Iran.

Last Friday, multiple Iranian outlets — including IRNA, Tasnim and Fars — claimed Shamkhani had not died but instead had been “severely injured and hospitalized” in the strike. They did not, however, release new photos of him.

Then Shamkhani appeared in pictures from Iranian state media coverage of Saturday’s state funeral for those slain during the 12-day conflict with Israel.

On the same day, Iranian state news agency IRIB ran what it billed as Shamkhani’s first television interview with Iranian state media since the attack.

CNN cannot independently verify his identity or the date the interview was recorded.

More on the interview: Shamkhani is shown holding a walking stick and using a breathing aid. He references an Israeli strike on his home, saying he was trapped by rubble for three hours following the attack.

“I did my morning prayer while under the rubble,” he said.

IRIB also released footage of what it said was Shamkhani’s home, reduced to broken concrete and rebar.

“At first, I thought it was an earthquake. But when I heard the sound of vehicles, I realized it was not,” he said in the interview, adding that he sustained internal injuries in the attack and that his rib cage was fractured.

“I know why they targeted me, but I cannot say,” he added.

CNN has reached out to Israeli authorities for comment.

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June 28, 2025 - Iran-Israel ceasefire news

 

What we covered here

• Israeli hostage rallies: Anti-war demonstrators and the families of Israeli hostages held protests in Tel Aviv on Saturday to demand a ceasefire in Gaza following the truce between Israel and Iran. Rallygoers urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seize a “historic window of opportunity” to bring remaining hostages home.

• Trump’s Middle East diplomacy: Many protesters made direct appeals to US President Donald Trump to intervene in the conflict. Trump helped broker the Israel-Iran truce and his administration has quietly aimed to revive nuclear talks with Tehran, though he has also exchanged sharp words with top Iranian officials, casting doubt on the diplomatic path forward.

• Funerals in Iran: Hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran earlier Saturday for the state funerals of top military officials, nuclear scientists, and women and children killed by Israeli attacks during this month’s 12-day conflict.

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LIVE: Israel’s attacks on Gaza kill 68, including children and aid seekers

IVE: Israel’s attacks on Gaza kill 68, including children and aid seekers

 

By Umut Uras and Farah Najjar

Published On 29 Jun 202529 Jun 2025

 

 

 

• Israeli attacks across Gaza today have killed at least 68 people, including several aid seekers and children, according to medical sources.
• Israel’s attack on Evin Prison in Iran’s capital killed at least 71 people last week, Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir says, with the dead including family members of detainees.
• At least 66 children have died of malnutrition in Gaza over the course of Israel’s war, authorities in the territory say.
• Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 56,500 people and wounded 133,419, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7 attacks, and more than 200 taken captive.

• Israeli attacks across Gaza today have killed at least 68 people, including several aid seekers and children, according to medical sources.
• Israel’s attack on Evin Prison in Iran’s capital killed at least 71 people last week, Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir says, with the dead including family members of detainees.
• At least 66 children have died of malnutrition in Gaza over the course of Israel’s war, authorities in the territory say.
• Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 56,500 people and wounded 133,419, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7 attacks, and more than 200 taken captive.

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