Massive protests erupted across Israel on Sunday following the deaths of six hostages in Gaza, intensifying public frustration over the government's failure to secure a ceasefire deal that would lead to the release of Israeli captives. Estimates from Israeli media suggest that up to 500,000 people demonstrated in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and other cities, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu take more decisive action to free the remaining 101 hostages, approximately one-third of whom Israeli officials believe have already died.
In Jerusalem, protesters blocked streets and demonstrated outside the prime minister's residence. In Tel Aviv, aerial footage showed the city's main highway filled with protesters holding flags bearing images of the slain hostages. Police were seen using water cannons to disperse demonstrators who had blocked roads, and local media reported 29 arrests.
Labor leaders announced a one-day general strike for Monday, with the head of Israel's trades union federation, Arnon Bar-David, calling for the strike to pressure the government into signing a ceasefire agreement. He stated that Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main air transport hub, would be closed from 8 a.m. (0500 GMT).
Netanyahu, facing increasing calls to end the nearly 11-month war, vowed that Israel would not rest until those responsible for the murders were captured, stating, "Whoever murders hostages does not want a deal." However, senior Hamas officials blamed Israel's refusal to agree to a ceasefire for the deaths, with Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri declaring, "Netanyahu is responsible for the killing of Israeli prisoners."
The war began after Hamas and other militants killed around 1,200 people and took approximately 250 hostages during attacks on Israel on October 7. Since then, Israel's offensive has devastated much of Gaza, with the enclave's health ministry reporting over 40,738 Palestinian deaths. Displaced individuals in Gaza are facing dire conditions, including inadequate shelter and a hunger crisis.
In a bid to halt the demonstrations, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a hardline member of Israel's security cabinet, asked the attorney general to block the strike. Meanwhile, opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid urged people to join the Tel Aviv protests. The Hostage Families Forum criticized Netanyahu, demanding an explanation for the delays in reaching an agreement and stating that the delay had resulted in the deaths of the six hostages who were brought home on Sunday.
U.S. President Joe Biden expressed his devastation and outrage over the deaths of the hostages, including 23-year-old Israeli-American Goldberg-Polin, and vowed that Hamas leaders would pay for their crimes. He also stated that efforts would continue around the clock to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
Negotiations, mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, have so far failed to produce a ceasefire deal. Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas negotiator based in Qatar, reiterated that Hamas would not sign an agreement unless Israel fully withdrew from the Gaza Strip, including from the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors.
In addition to the ongoing conflict, Israel and Hamas agreed to a temporary pause in fighting for at least eight hours daily from Sunday to Tuesday to facilitate the vaccination of 640,000 children in Gaza against polio. On the first day, 72,611 children were vaccinated at a UN clinic in Deir Al-Balah.
Despite the temporary pause, Israeli forces continued to battle Hamas-led militants in Gaza, targeting a Hamas command center in a former school in Gaza City. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service reported 11 deaths, and medics indicated many others were wounded. In Khan Younis, an Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians and injured ten others, bringing the day's total death toll in Gaza to 27.