TEL AVIV, Israel
Hundreds of protesters blocked
Tel Aviv's main highway on Sunday night in protest after six more Israeli
hostages were found dead in Gaza.People protest in grief and anger calling for a deal to release hostages held in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024
It comes after tens of
thousands of grieving and angry Israelis surged into the streets, as they
demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a cease-fire with
Hamas to bring the remaining captives home.
The mass outpouring appeared
to be the largest such demonstration in 11 months of war and protesters said it
felt like a possible turning point, although the country is deeply divided.
Israel’s largest trade union,
the Histadrut, further pressured the government by calling a general strike for
Monday, the first since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that started the war.
It aims to shut down or
disrupt major sectors of the economy, including banking, health care and the
country’s main airport.
Cease-fire negotiations have
dragged on for months. Many blame Netanyahu for failing to reach a deal, which
opinion polls show a majority of Israelis favor.
But the prime minister also
has significant support for his strategy of “total victory” against Hamas, even
if a deal for the hostages has to wait.
Thousands of people, some of
them weeping, gathered Sunday night outside Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem.
In Tel Aviv, hostages'
relatives marched with coffins.
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