Thousands of people take to the streets of Israel to demand a deal from Netanyahu over hostages

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The discovery of six dead hostages in the Gaza Strip has prompted calls for a general strike to put pressure on Netanyahu

September 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Thousands of people took to the streets of major Israeli cities on Sunday to demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach an agreement to release hostages held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, protests fueled by the discovery last night of the bodies of six of the hostages in the south of the Palestinian enclave.

The largest demonstration was once again in the centre of Tel Aviv, where protesters filled the streets adjacent to the Israeli Armed Forces headquarters in what Israeli media predict will be the largest mobilisation since the start of the escalation in the Gaza Strip.

The mock coffins of the six latest Israeli victims of the conflict were displayed at the demonstration, all of them draped with Israeli flags.

Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, the demonstration was held in front of the Knesset, or Israeli Parliament, where a new protest was announced for Monday at 12:00 noon, coinciding with the meeting of the Council of Ministers.

“Members of the government: you are going to learn the hard way what is important to this nation. You will not have a moment of silence,” warned one of the organizers, according to The Times of Israel.

This Sunday, the main Israeli trade union, Histadrut, announced the call for a general strike on Monday to demand an agreement from Netanyahu. Various opposition political parties and even public institutions have joined the call.

The Histadrut Secretary General, Arnon Bar-David, took part in the Tel Aviv demonstration. “The whole country is ready for tomorrow,” he declared. “The key word here is abandonment” of the hostages, of the south, of the north and “the incredible abandonment of the economy” while “coalition funds go to unnecessary government offices.”