Israel Erupts in Protest: Citizens Demand Ceasefire After Six More Captives Found Dead in Gaza

Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets, demanding an immediate ceasefire and the return of captives from Gaza. The country's largest trade union has called for a general strike on Monday, intensifying pressure on the government.

In one of the largest anti-government demonstrations since the Gaza war began nearly 11 months ago, tens of thousands of Israelis have flooded the streets, demanding a ceasefire deal and the return of captives held in Gaza. The protests erupted after the bodies of six more captives were found, sparking widespread outrage and calls for action from the government.

Scuffles between protesters and security forces were reported on Sunday night, as demonstrators chanted "Now! Now!" and demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian group Hamas to bring the remaining captives home. Many Israelis blocked roads in Tel Aviv and demonstrated outside Netanyahu's office in West Jerusalem.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of captives held in Gaza, issued a statement blaming Netanyahu's failure to secure a deal for the deaths of the six hostages. "They were all murdered in the last few days, after surviving almost 11 months of abuse, torture, and starvation in Hamas captivity," the forum said.

Gil Dickmann, a cousin of Carmel Gat, whose body was among those returned, urged Israelis to increase pressure on their government. "Take to the streets and shut down the country until everyone returns. They can still be saved," Dickmann posted on social media.

Gideon Levy, a columnist with Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, told Al Jazeera that Netanyahu has been defending the right-wing parties in his government that are against any concessions to Hamas. "They [the parties] could not care less about the hostages," he said. Levy emphasized that within Netanyahu’s Likud Party, the largest group in the government, Netanyahu wields significant power and the party supports him. "Therefore, the challenges from within the government are very limited," he said. "The real, only possible, challenge would be the streets, but it is too early to judge."

Union Calls for General Strike

In a first since October 7, Israel’s largest trade union federation, the Histadrut, has called for a general strike to pressure the government into signing a ceasefire deal. The union announced that Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main air transport hub, would be closed from 8 am (05:00 GMT) on Monday, aiming to shut down or disrupt major sectors of Israel’s economy, including banking and healthcare.

"A deal is more important than anything else," said Histadrut chief Arnon Bar-David. "We are getting body bags instead of a deal." He added that he was backed by Israel’s main manufacturers and entrepreneurs in the high-tech sector. The alliance of some of the most powerful voices in Israel’s economy reflected the scale of public anger over the deaths of the six captives.

Municipal services in Israel’s economic hub, Tel Aviv, will also be shut for part of Monday. The Manufacturers Association of Israel supported 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," said association head Ron Tomer.

Israeli opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid expressed support for the strike. However, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has asked the country’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 said that a broad strike—which would shut the country including outgoing flights—has significant economic consequences which would cause unnecessary economic damage in wartime.

Truce negotiations between Israel and Hamas have dragged on for months, and many blame Netanyahu for failing to reach a deal. The Israeli military has killed at least 40,738 people and wounded 94,154 in its war on Gaza since October 7. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, with some 250 people seized by the group. Israel’s army has acknowledged the difficulty of rescuing dozens of remaining captives and said only a deal can bring a large-scale return.

The protests and the strike reflect the growing frustration and anger among the Israeli public over the government's handling of the conflict and the fate of the captives. As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the pressure on Netanyahu and his government to reach a ceasefire agreement is intensifying.