Thousands of Israel protesters strike in demand for end of Gaza war, want deal for returning hostages

Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Israeli citizens have joined a general strike to protest the ongoing war in Gaza, and the failure of Israel’s government to secure the return of the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

End to war

The BBC reported that on Aug. 17, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets to demand the end to the war in Gaza and for Israel’s government to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Organisers had called for a one day general strike across the nation, centred around “Hostages Square” in Tel Aviv.

The Times of Israel detailed the context of the protest, with the protest beginning at 6.29am, attributed to the time that the de facto rulers of Gaza had begun their attack on Oct. 7.

Protesters had planned for over a million people to pass through “Hostages Square”, with several thousand other participants joining activities at other sites across Israel.

Reports vary about actual attendance, with reports ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.

Protesters also stood at intersections to hand out ribbons, but at times stopping traffic.

Reuters reports that protestors blocked the main highway connecting Tel Aviv with Jerusalem using their bodies and burning debris.

Relatives of hostages have been prominent in the protest, with the Associated Press quoting the father of a current hostage claiming that "We live between a terrorist organisation that holds our children and a government that refuses to release them for political reasons."

One parent of a hostage the BBC spoke to accused the Israeli government of transforming a "just war into a pointless war".

Hostage return

Several reports on the ground, including by Australia’s ABC news, indicated that protesters were mainly coming out in support of the 50 as yet unreturned hostages believed to be held in Gaza.

Of those 50, 20 are thought to still be alive.

On Oct. 7, Hamas attacked Southern Israel, killing 1,200 and taking around 240 hostages.

Of those 240, most have been either returned via hostage exchange, rescued via military action, or had their bodies retrieved.

Israel launched swift and devastating military retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, but this military campaign has expanded to include strikes against targets in Syria, Iran, and Yemen.

Humanitarian crisis

The BBC reports that Israel’s war cabinet voted last week to occupy Gaza City and displace its population.

The protesters however are calling on the government to end the war, and ensure the safe return of the remaining hostages, or the return of their remains.

This has been heavily criticised by members of Israel’s government, including the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several members of his cabinet.

Part of the protesters’ agenda is the humanitarian situation in Gaza, although ABC reports that it is a secondary concern relative to hostage return.

In the past 22 months of fighting, over 60,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, and in recent months, death by violence has been joined by an ongoing humanitarian crisis that many are accusing Israel’s government of exacerbating.

Top image via AFP