Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Sunday evening after the bodies of six hostages were found in Gaza. They demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a truce with Hamas to bring home the rest of the prisoners, reports Komersant ukrainskyi
reports with reference to AP.
The massive protest is likely to be the largest in the 11 months of war, and demonstrators believe it could be a turning point, although the country is deeply divided. Relatives of the hostages gathered in Jerusalem outside Netanyahu’s office, and in Tel Aviv they held a procession with coffins.
Israel’s leading trade union, Histadrut, has also increased pressure on the government by calling a general strike for Monday, the first since last October. This is aimed at paralysing or disrupting major sectors of the economy, including banking, healthcare and the country’s main international airport.
The ceasefire negotiations have been ongoing for months. Many blame Netanyahu for failing to reach an agreement that most Israelis support, according to opinion polls. But the prime minister also has considerable support for his strategy of “total victory” over Hamas, even if a hostage deal must wait.
Three of the six dead hostages were reportedly to be released in the first phase of a ceasefire proposal discussed in July. This has increased protesters’ anger and frustration.
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Senior military and security officials, including Defence Minister Yoav Galant, warned that time was running out. Netanyahu reportedly sparred with Galant at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, accusing him of prioritising control of the strategic corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border over the lives of the hostages.
The parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American hostage, have become perhaps the most prominent hostage relatives on the international stage. They have met with US President Joe Biden and the Pope, and on 21 August spoke at the Democratic National Convention.
Of the 250 hostages seized on 7 October, 101 are still held by Israel, including 35 believed to be dead. More than 100 were released during a ceasefire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel. Eight were rescued by Israeli forces, and three were killed during an escape attempt in December.
The war has displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, often several times, and plunged the blockaded enclave into a humanitarian catastrophe. Israeli air strikes continue to claim Palestinian lives.
Massive protests in Israel and a general strike show how outraged the public is by the protracted war and the government’s failed attempts to rescue the hostages. This could be a turning point in the political pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu to speed up a truce with Hamas.