Israel is seeing unprecedented protests after six more hostages were found dead in Gaza, escalating calls for a ceasefire. Israeli forces arrived in Rafah and found the hostages, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, dead in a tunnel. Histadrut, Israel’s largest labor union, launched a nationwide strike and enormous protests after their deaths, which were poignant because some were due for release in a July truce agreement.
Tens of thousands of Israelis protested, demanding Netanyahu negotiate a truce with Hamas immediately. Protesters say Netanyahu put politics and strategy before hostages. The protests, one of the largest since the war began over 11 months ago, indicate mounting discontent with stalled negotiations and the violence.
The Israeli military admits that only a negotiated deal can free the other hostages. To force the government to act, victim families have demanded a “complete halt of the country.”. The situation highlights Israeli society’s deep differences and Netanyahu’s government’s growing strain as it navigates the conflict and popular sentiment.
Image Credit: https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-hostages-war-gaza-news-09-01-24/index.html
