Anti-government protests in Israel

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Israel to demand a ceasefire. The protests erupted after six more hostages were found dead in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

The Israeli protestors demand that the remaining hostages should be brought back by a cease-fire agreement with the Palestinian independence organization Hamas. The country's main labor union has called for a strike to increase pressure on the government for the same demand.

Al Jazeera's online report reported this information on Monday (September 2).

Al Jazeera described it as one of the biggest anti-government protests since the war in Gaza began 11 months ago.

Clashes broke out between protesters and security forces last night.

Protesters chanted 'now, now' and demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a ceasefire to free the remaining hostages.

Many protesters blocked roads in Tel Aviv and demonstrated outside Netanyahu's office in West Jerusalem, according to reports.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of Israeli hostages in Gaza, said in a statement that the deaths of the six hostages were the result of Netanyahu's “failure” to secure an agreement to end the war and bring their loved ones home.

Meanwhile, Israel's largest labor union federation Histadrut has called for a strike to pressure the government for a ceasefire. They took such action for the first time after October 7.

Ben Gurion Airport will be closed from 8 a.m. local time Monday, the union said. It is known as Israel's main air transport hub. If the airport is closed, all major sectors of the country's economy, including banking and healthcare, may suffer.

Histadrut chief Arnon Bar-David said a (ceasefire) agreement is more important than anything else.

On October 7 last year, the Palestinian armed group Hamas fired thousands of rockets from Gaza towards Israel. At the same time, Hamas fighters crossed the Israeli border and ran rampant in the country. At least 1,200 people were killed. In addition, Hamas fighters took more than three hundred people hostage. Since then, there has been a war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

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