Israelis Demand Cease-Fire as Protests Erupt Over Hostage Deaths

Grieving and angry Israelis took to the streets Sunday night, demanding a cease-fire after six more hostages were found dead in Gaza. The crowd, chanting “Now! Now!”, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to negotiate with Hamas to secure the release of the remaining captives.

Adding to the pressure, Israel’s largest trade union, Histadrut, called for a general strike on Monday, the first since the Hamas attack on October 7 that sparked the ongoing conflict. The strike aims to disrupt major sectors of the economy, including banking, healthcare, and the country’s main airport.

Tens of thousands of Israelis are expected to join the protests. Many hold Netanyahu responsible for not achieving a cease-fire after nearly 11 months of war, with negotiations dragging on. Israel’s military has acknowledged the challenges of rescuing the remaining hostages and emphasized that a deal is the only way to bring them home.

One protester, who gave his name as Amos, said, “I’m crying the cry of humanity,” as thousands, some in tears, gathered outside Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem.

The military reported that all six hostages were killed just before Israeli forces arrived. Netanyahu blamed Hamas for stalling negotiations, stating, “Whoever murders hostages doesn’t want a deal.”

Among the deceased hostages was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American seized at a music festival in southern Israel. The other victims included Ori Danino, 25; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 27; Alexander Lobanov, 33; and Carmel Gat, 40, who was taken from a nearby farming community.

The bodies were recovered from a tunnel in Rafah, southern Gaza, around half a mile from where another hostage was recently rescued. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesperson, said Israeli forces found the bodies several dozen yards underground during ongoing combat, but there was no firefight in the tunnel itself. He confirmed that Hamas was responsible for their deaths.

Hamas has offered to release the hostages in exchange for an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the release of many Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants.

A senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Rishq, claimed the hostages would still be alive if Israel had accepted a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal that Hamas said it agreed to in July.

As funerals began for the hostages, anger continued to grow. Sarusi’s body was wrapped in an Israeli flag. His mother, Nira, expressed her grief, saying, “You were abandoned on and on, daily, hour after hour, 331 days. You and so many beautiful and pure souls. Enough. No more.”

Hostage families are calling for a “complete halt of the country” to push for a cease-fire and the release of hostages. The families argue that delays, sabotage, and excuses led to the deaths of their loved ones, stating that they would likely still be alive if not for these setbacks.

Netanyahu remains determined to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed, despite critics accusing him of prioritizing his personal interests over the hostages' safety. The war’s end is expected to lead to an investigation into his government’s failures during the October 7 attacks, potentially causing the government to collapse and triggering early elections.

Reports have surfaced of a heated exchange between Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a security Cabinet meeting. Gallant accused Netanyahu of prioritizing control of a strategic corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, a major sticking point in the talks, over the lives of the hostages. Three of the hostages were reportedly slated to be released in the first phase of a cease-fire proposal discussed in July.

A forum of hostage families has demanded a nationwide shutdown to pressure the government into a cease-fire and the release of hostages. The forum stated that delays and excuses likely cost the lives of those who died this morning.

Although public outrage is growing, it may not immediately threaten Netanyahu’s far-right government, which still holds a majority in parliament. However, he has previously caved to public pressure, as seen when mass protests led him to cancel the dismissal of his defense minister last year, and a general strike delayed his controversial judicial overhaul.

The parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, U.S.-born immigrants to Israel, have become prominent figures in the campaign to free hostages. They met with U.S. President Joe Biden and Pope Francis and addressed the Democratic National Convention, receiving sustained applause and chants of “bring him home.”

Biden expressed his devastation and outrage on Sunday and spoke with Goldberg-Polin’s parents, offering his condolences.

Since the October 7 attack, some 250 hostages were taken. Israel now believes 101 remain in captivity, including 35 who are thought to be dead. Over 100 hostages were freed during a cease-fire in November in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Eight hostages have been rescued by Israeli forces, but three Israeli captives were mistakenly killed during their escape in December.

The October 7 Hamas-led attack killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to local health officials, who have not specified how many were militants. The conflict has displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, plunging the region into a humanitarian crisis.