Mass manifestations maintained through Israel calling for the end of the Gaza War, Liberation of the hostages

Thousands of Israelis participated in a national strike on Sunday to support the families of hostages held in Gaza, calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war and release the remaining captives.

The demonstrators signaled the Israeli flags and carried photos of hostages while whistles, horns and drums resounded during rallies across the country. Some demonstrators have blocked the streets and highways, including the main route between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

“Today, everything stops to remember the highest value: the sacred character of life,” journalists Anat Aregrest told the hostage mother Matan Angrest, journalists in a public place in Tel Aviv.

Among those who met hostage families in Tel Aviv, the Israeli actress Hollywood Gal Gadot, known for her role as Wonder Woman and with the Fast & The Furious franchise.

Before Sunday, some companies and institutions said they would allow staff to join the national strike, which was called by hostages families. While some companies have closed, many have also remained open across the country on what is a working day in Israel. Schools are in summer recess and have not been affected.

A major rally was to take place in Tel Aviv in the evening.

Israeli police said 38 demonstrators had been detained at 2 p.m. local time. Some demonstrators blocking the roads escaped with the police and were swept away by police.

The demonstrations across the country were briefly interrupted around 4 p.m., the local time when air raid sirens resounded to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and elsewhere, warning of a missile entering from Yemen. The missile was intercepted without incident.

Netanyahu said on Sunday: “Those who call today for the end of the war without defeating Hamas do not only harden the position of Hamas and delays the release of our hostages. They also ensure that the horrors of October 7 will be repeated and again.”

Look | Netanyahu defends the plan to take over the city of Gaza:

Netanyahu defends the Israeli plan to take over the city of Gaza after the international conviction

Faced with world criticism, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his plan to take over one of the most populated areas in Gaza at a press conference with international journalists. Netanyahu, who faces an arrest warrant against the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, has also blamed many Gaza problems on Hamas.

The Prime Minister, who leads the most right -wing government in the history of the country, said that his government was determined to implement a decision for the military to seize the city of Gaza, one of the last major areas of the enclave which it does not already control.

This decision is largely unpopular among the Israelis and in many families of the hostages, who fear that a extended military campaign in Gaza can risk the lives of their always captive loved ones. There are 50 hostages held by activists in Gaza, whose Israeli officials believe that around 20 years are still alive.

“There is no time – not for life that waste in hell, or for the falls that can disappear in the ruins of Gaza,” said the forum of hostages families, which represents many families of captives held in Gaza on Sunday.

After almost two years of war in Gaza, ignited by the attack led by Hamas against Israel in October 2023, most of the hostages that have been released until now have emerged following diplomatic talks.

Negotiations to a ceasefire that could have seen more released hostages collapsed in July. The Palestinian militant group Hamas said that he would only release the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war, while Netanyahu has promised that Hamas cannot remain in power.

The Israeli government has faced strong criticism in the country and abroad, including some of its nearest European allies, about the announcement that the army would soon grasp Gaza City.

Look | The Israel Plan of Gaza City sentenced by world leaders:

Israel’s plan to capture Gaza City sentenced by world leaders

The Israeli government’s plan to take control of the city of Gaza sparked the conviction of leaders around the world, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said the action will put more at risk. ”

Hamas called the criminal of the plan on Sunday, saying that it would force the movement of hundreds of thousands of Gaza City.

According to local health officials, more than 61,000 Palestinians were killed during the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. They said on Sunday that at least 29 on Sunday had been killed on Sunday in the last day.

About 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken to Gaza on October 7, 2023 in Hamas, Israel, according to Israeli accounts. Since then, more than 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza.

The head of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, who attended a rally in Tel Aviv, expressed his support for the demonstrators.

“The only thing that strengthens the country is the wonderful spirit of people who come out of their homes today for Israeli solidarity,” he wrote on X.