TEL AVIV, August 26. /TASS/. The Israeli police have arrested a Tel Aviv man who took part in a protest rally against the war in the Gaza Strip for disrupting public order and having a smoke grenade on him.

According to the police, several other protesters were fined for obstructing traffic in Tel Aviv. "The police are on high alert and are deployed to areas where major protests are held to prevent public order violations," the police said.

A coalition of hostages’ families and a number of non-governmental organizations declared August 26 a "day of struggle" for the release of hostages and ending the war in Gaza. Demonstrations began at 6:29 a.m. local time (3:29 a.m. GMT), exactly when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.

According to the Ynet portal, protesters blocked traffic along the Ayalon highway in eastern Tel Aviv and adjacent streets several times. They also blocked the highway linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and burned car tires on other roads in central Israel. There are also plans to hold a demonstration in downtown Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening.

Tens of thousands of people took part in a rally in Tel Aviv on August 17 demanding the Israeli government strike a hostage release deal. The rally’s organizers claim that half a million people took part. The rally culminated a one-day nationwide strike that was organized by the families of hostages. Back then, according to Ynet, 38 people were detained for violating public order.