Six hostages killed have set the Israeli mind on fire. Israeli media write that up to 500,000 people took part in demonstrations in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities in Israel on Sunday, which continued through the night into Monday. On Monday morning, Israel’s largest airport, Ben Gurion, closes to all air traffic, according to the trade union Histadrut. They represent hundreds of thousands of employees in the public sector. On Monday, they will go on strike to pressure the government to release the hostages held in Gaza. – Jews are murdered in the tunnels in Gaza. It is impossible to understand and must be stopped, says leader Arnon Bar-David at a press conference in Tel Aviv, according to the Times of Israel. FLAMES A protester with a rope stands in front of the flames which are helping to close the Ayalon highway. Photo: OREN ZIV / AFP – An agreement is important is something else. Instead of an agreement, we get body bags. The announced strike is expected to last for one day. Histadrut will consider an extension at a later date. Hostages found dead in tunnel On Saturday, the Israeli military (IDF) found six dead hostages in a tunnel in Gaza. According to spokesperson Daniel Hagari, these were brutally killed by Hamas. The Israeli Ministry of Health says on Sunday that the hostages had several gunshot wounds and that they were shot “at close range”. Forensic investigations estimate that the hostages were killed between 48 and 72 hours before they were autopsied, i.e. either Thursday or Friday. Spokesperson Shira Solomon says so, according to Israeli and international media. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Carmel Gat are the hostages who have now been reported killed. Photo: AP Hamas denies having shot the hostages, and claims they were killed in an airstrike. Regardless of the cause of death of the hostages, Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are now receiving enormous criticism. Despite months of negotiations, Israel and Hamas have still not agreed on either a ceasefire or an agreement to release the hostages. – Take to the streets Opposition leader Yair Lapid has come out hard against the government, and is among those who have called for a general strike. From the beginning, the Forum for Hostages and Missing Families has encouraged the population to demonstrate. The mayor of Tel Aviv, Ron Huldai, has confirmed that his municipal employees will be given part of Monday off to participate in the demonstrations. – Until 12 o’clock there will be no public services, and we will let all employees go out and support the family’s fight. Take to the streets. Demonstrations in Jerusalem on Sunday. Photo: Reuters In addition to the Histadrut, the umbrella organization MAI also supports a general strike, writes Reuters. – The government must ensure that it does everything possible to get the hostages back as soon as possible, even under the constraints of a ceasefire. I ask all businesses in Israel to act to make this happen, says the association’s leader Ron Tomer. Asks the Attorney General to intervene The Government, for its part, asks workers to ignore the calls of Lapid and the unions, writes the Times of Israel. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has urged the Attorney General to ask the courts to block Monday’s planned general strike, writes Reuters. WET: Police use water cannons against the protesters in Tel Aviv. Photo: Tomer Appelbaum / Reuters Smotrich believes that the strike will be an advantage for Hamas in the ongoing conflict, and that a major strike will have major negative economic consequences. He also believes the strike lacks a legal basis, and warns that it could set a dangerous precedent. – The time has come to prove to the world that there is a military solution to terrorism, and that it can be destroyed with determination and persistence, he said earlier on Sunday. Several rescue operations Hamas and the Islamic Holy War abducted around 250 Israelis and foreigners during the attack on 7 October last year. Around 1,200, many of them civilians, were killed in the attack. CARRYING COFFINS: Thousands of people have taken to the streets with Israeli flags in Tel Aviv. Some also carry symbolic coffins to represent the killed hostages. Photo: AFP The IDF estimates that around 100 people are still being held hostage in Gaza. Last week, the IDF said 34 had been confirmed dead. With Saturday’s discovery, the number is 40. Israel has carried out several rescue operations in Gaza, in addition to airstrikes. Last week, 52-year-old Farhan became the eighth person to be rescued alive. In June, four other hostages were also rescued. At the time, close to 300 Palestinians lost their lives. Over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since the outbreak of the war, according to Palestinian health authorities. The figures have not been confirmed by news, but are considered reliable by the UN. Published 01.09.2024, at 16.51 Updated 02.09.2024, at 05.56
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Hundreds of thousands demonstrate in Israel for hostage agreement – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
