Hundreds of thousands of people marched in the streets of Israel this Sunday, September 1, to demand an agreement to release the hostages still being held in the Palestinian enclave, which has been relentlessly bombed by the IDF since Saturday, October 7, 2023. A call for a general strike has been launched for this Monday, September 2.
A wave of anger. More than 700,000 people, equivalent to 7% of the population of the Hebrew state, demonstrated this Sunday, September 1 in several cities of Israel, the largest mobilization gathering around 550,000 people in Tel Aviv, indicated the Forum of Families of the Hostages and the Missing to CNN.
The massive protests came just hours after the army announced that six hostages had been found dead in a tunnel in the Gaza Strip.
The protesters are demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government reach an agreement with Hamas to release the hostages still being held in the Palestinian enclave, nearly eleven months after the October 7 attacks.
General strike this Monday
Benjamin Netanyahu, under increasing pressure to reach a deal on the hostages after months of deadlock, threatened Hamas on Sunday to “settle the score”. “He who kills hostages does not want an agreement” on a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, he hammered home.
According to CNN, the Israeli Prime Minister is “concerned” about the large demonstrations this Sunday.
Because the movement is only just beginning. This Monday, September 2, a general strike will begin at 6 a.m. local time, at the call of the Histadrut, the main trade union confederation in the country. “At 8 a.m., the airport will be closed, takeoffs and landings will cease,” the organization warned in a statement relayed by AFP.
The strike call is supported by the city of Tel Aviv, announced Mayor Ron Huldai, a former Labor Party member. “There will be no public reception until noon and we allow all municipal workers to join the protests,” he wrote on X, calling on people to “take to the streets.”
Several other organizations, such as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, have also announced that they are joining the movement.
