Anti-Netanyahu Protests Sweep Israel After Six More Captives Killed in Gaza
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis hit the streets across the occupied territories demanding a ceasefire deal with Palestinian group Hamas after six more captives were found dead in the Gaza Strip.
Scuffles between the protesters and security forces were reported on Sunday night in one of the largest anti-government demonstrations in the occupied territories since the Gaza war began nearly 11 months ago.The protesters chanted “Now! Now!”, and demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a ceasefire agreement with Hamas to bring the remaining captives home.Many Israelis blocked roads in Tel Aviv, and demonstrated outside Netanyahu’s office in West Jerusalem.Israeli media reports indicate that tens of people have been arrested.An estimated 500,000 people attended the rallies held in multiple cities across the occupied territories, according to reports.
In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of captives held in the besieged enclave, said the death of the six hostages was the direct result of Netanyahu’s failure to secure a deal to halt the fighting and bring their loved ones home.“They were all murdered in the last few days, after surviving almost 11 months of abuse, torture and starvation in Hamas captivity,” the forum added.
Meanwhile, in a first since October 7, Israel’s largest trades union federation, the Histadrut, has called for a general strike to pressure the government into signing a ceasefire deal.The union announced Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main air transport hub, would be closed from 8 a.m. (05:00 GMT) on Monday, as it aimed to shut down or disrupt major sectors of Israel’s economy, including banking and healthcare.Municipal services in Israel’s economic hub Tel Aviv will also be shut for part of Monday.The Manufacturers Association of Israel said it backed the strike, and accused the government of failing in its “moral duty” to bring the captives back alive.“Without the return of the hostages, we will not be able to end the war, we will not be able to rehabilitate ourselves as a society and we will not be able to begin to rehabilitate the Israeli economy,” association head Ron Tomer stated.Israeli opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid stressed he supported the strike.
But Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has asked Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to submit "an urgent request to courts to block the planned nationwide strike".In his letter, Smotrich argued that a strike had no legal basis since it aimed to improperly influence significant policy decisions of politicians on issues related to state security.He also added that a broad strike has significant economic consequences which would cause unnecessary economic damage in wartime.
Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas have dragged on for months, and many blame Netanyahu for failing to reach an agreement.The Israeli military has killed at least 40,700 people and wounded more than 94,100 in its war on Gaza since October 7. Israel’s Army has acknowledged the difficulty of rescuing dozens of remaining captives, and announced only a deal can bring a large-scale return.
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