The protesters want the Israeli government to begin serious negotiations on the release of the hostages held by the terrorist organization Hamas.
Yrjö Kokkonen,
Laura Kangas
17:13•Updated 19:51
Thousands of people have gathered to demonstrate in Israel. Demonstrators in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are trying to put pressure on the country’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strengthen efforts to free the hostages in Gaza.
In Jerusalem, a crowd has demonstrated at Netanyahu’s official residence and blocked traffic on the streets.
The protests began when it became public knowledge that the bodies of six hostages were found in a Hamas tunnel in Rafah, in the southern part of Gaza.
Israel’s largest trade union Histadrut has announced a general strike tomorrow. The strike starts at 8 o’clock in the morning.
The strike also closes, among other things, the country’s most important airport, Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
The trade union is trying to use the strike to pressure the country’s government to negotiate the release of the hostages.
More than 30 hostages dead
On October 7, 2023, Hamas, the terrorist organization that controls the Gaza Strip, attacked several cities in Israel and took around 250 hostages.
According to a group representing both Israel and the families of the hostages, more than thirty hostages kidnapped by Hamas are believed to have died.
Since the outbreak of the war, Netanyahu has often been criticized for not being seen to have done enough to free the hostages.
Sources: Reuters, AFP
Modified on 1.9. 19:50: Updated the news with information about the demonstrations.