Tens of thousands rally in Israel demanding Gaza ceasefire

Hundreds of protesters blocked Tel Aviv’s main highway on Sunday night in protest after six more Israeli hostages were found dead in Gaza.
It comes after tens of thousands of grieving and angry Israelis surged into the streets, as they demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a cease-fire with Hamas to bring the remaining captives home.
The mass outpouring appeared to be the largest such demonstration in 11 months of war and protesters said it felt like a possible turning point, although the country is deeply divided.
Israel’s largest trade union, the Histadrut, further pressured the government by calling a general strike for Monday, the first since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that started the war.
It aims to shut down or disrupt major sectors of the economy, including banking, health care and the country’s main airport.
Cease-fire negotiations have dragged on for months. Many blame Netanyahu for failing to reach a deal, which opinion polls show a majority of Israelis favor.
But the prime minister also has significant support for his strategy of “total victory” against Hamas, even if a deal for the hostages has to wait.
Thousands of people, some of them weeping, gathered Sunday night outside Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem.
In Tel Aviv, hostages’ relatives marched with coffins.