Former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin delivers a speech at the weekly anti-government protest in Tel Aviv after weeks of refusing to do so, believing the time was not right.

Diskin, who served as head of the intelligence agency from 2005 to 2011, told the crowds that the "worst prime minister" in Israel's history has spent the last decade leading the country to a point where there are no internal, regional, or political powers, in addition to international security, which could threaten its existence as a state in the near future.

He called for replacing the "worst government failure" with a government capable of uniting the people, free from extremists and fanatics.

Diskin urged people to take to the streets and protest until the government is resolved, stating that Israel's priority should be the return of hostages from Gaza, as well as normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia in a way that leads to a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The weekly anti-government protests are nationwide, with calls for early elections and a hostage deal.

According to the "Times of Israel", three protesters lie motionless in the Square of Democracy in Tel Aviv near Kaplan Street.

They are surrounded by a crime scene line in red and white, covered in red paint, presenting an artistic performance titled "Will Israel Die?", a play on words on the Hebrew slogan associated with the war on Hamas, which means "The people of Israel live".

The performance is part of the weekly protests against the government, which take place in dozens of areas across Israel, including Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev, Haifa, and Ma'ale Adumim in the north.

The main protests occur in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where thousands attend every Saturday night. The demonstrators demand early elections and, increasingly, an end to the ongoing eight-month fighting with Hamas.

Separately, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing some relatives of the hostages in Gaza, holds its weekly meeting in the Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. The gathering calls for an immediate agreement for the release of the hostages, which Hamas says will only happen if the fighting stops, among other demands.