Hundreds of thousands of protestors took to the streets in Israel on Sunday following the death of six hostages in Gaza as anger mounted over the inability of the country’s leadership to secure a ceasefire deal that would free the captives.
Israeli media reported that 300,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv and an additional 200,000 took part in protests across the country, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secure the release of the remaining 101 hostages. In Jerusalem, protesters blocked streets and demonstrated outside the prime minister’s residence.
Video footage showed Tel Aviv’s main highway filled with protesters holding flags with pictures of the slain hostages. Israeli television footage showed police directing water canons at demonstrators who had blocked roads. Local media reported 29 arrests. The country’s labour leaders called a one-day general strike on Monday.
The Israeli military on Sunday announced the recovery of the bodies from a tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The bodies of hostages Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino were returned to Israel, military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters.
A forensic examination determined they were “murdered by Hamas terrorists in several shots at close range” 48-72 hours previously, an Israeli health ministry spokesperson said. Netanyahu, who faces growing calls to end nearly 11 months of war with a deal for a ceasefire and the release of remaining hostages, said Israel would not rest until it caught those responsible.
Israel’s campaign in Gaza began after Hamas and other militants killed about 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages in attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel’s offensive has levelled much of the enclave of 2.3 million people, and the Gaza health ministry says at least 40,738 Palestinians have been killed. Displaced people are living in dire conditions with inadequate shelter and a hunger crisis.
‘Deep sorrow’
Amid mounting public anger, the head of Israel’s trades union federation, Arnon Bar-David, on Sunday called for a general strike on Monday to pressure the government into signing a deal. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who has clashed frequently with Netanyahu, also called for an agreement, and opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid urged people to join the protest in Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu’s office said he had spoken to the family of Lobanov, whose body was among those recovered, apologising and expressing “deep sorrow”. But the family of Gat said they refused to speak to the prime minister and instead called on Israelis to join protests. “Take to the streets and shut down the country until everyone returns. They can still be saved,” Gat’s cousin, Gil Dickmann, wrote on X.
Months of stop-start negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt have so far failed to secure a deal, despite increased US pressure and repeated trips by top officials to the region. Currently, Israel and Hamas agreed to pause fighting in areas of Gaza for at least eight hours daily from Sunday to Tuesday to begin vaccinating 640,000 children against polio.
