A general strike, mass demonstrations and the pressures and criticism within his government. Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself between a rock and a hard place after the Israeli military on Sunday found the bodies of six Hamas hostages – two women and four men aged between 23 and 40. “They were alive. Netanyahu and the ‘death cabinet’ They decided not to save them. There are still hostages alive there, a deal can still be made. Netanyahu is not doing it for political reasons“, lamented opposition leader Yair Lapid, who called on businessmen and local authorities to organize a general strike.
“It is the direct result of Netanyahu does not sign agreement“, the Hostage Families Forum denounced in a statement, “all were murdered in recent days, after surviving nearly 11 months of abuse, torture and hunger in Hamas captivity. The delay in signing the agreement caused his death and that of many other hostages.“.
The Minister of Defense adopted the same line, Yoav Gallant: “The (government) cabinet must meet immediately and reverse the decision taken on Thursday,” referring to the decision to keep the army in the country. Philadelphia Corridor –demarcation line between Gaza and Egypt – aware that the permanence of troops is one of the biggest obstacles to reaching a truce with Hamas.
Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv tonight to protest Netanyahu government’s moves to delay Gaza hostage deal (video: Amir Turkle) pic.twitter.com/FI3d3i0KXQ
– Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) September 1, 2024
“Stop the nation”
The death of the six hostages shattered the serenity of the citizens. Immediately after hearing the news, the Israeli trade union Histadrut (General Federation of Workers of the Land of Israel) called for a general strike on Monday to pressure the government to reach an agreement with Hamas that would release the remaining hostages.
The initiative “Stop the nation” He was supported by the Israel Business Forum, which brings together the country’s 200 largest companies. Even Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai announced that his city would go on strike tomorrow, Monday, in support of the hostage families: “There will be no reception of the public in our offices and we will allow all employees to go out to support the families’ struggle,” he said.
Lapid demanded an extraordinary session in the Israeli parliament (Knesset) to discuss a new truce agreement with Hamassuch as the one agreed last November which allowed the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli prisons.
For the relatives of the hostages, their loved ones would be alive if Netanyahu had signed a pact with Hamas, which the majority of his cabinet opposes. The Forum of Relatives of the Hostages called for “a memorial march, carrying symbolic coffins” in Tel Aviv, and called for mobilization at other marches in Jerusalem and at dozens of points across Israel.
Protesters gather outside the Israeli Defense Ministry against Netanyahu’s government and to show support for the hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
Reuters
“Hamas is not the only one responsible”
With six boxes wrapped in Israeli flags that resemble coffins, relatives of the hostages led a mass march in Tel Aviv on Sunday night and called on “all of Israel to take to the streets and choose the right side of history.”
“Six of our brothers came back in body bags! Stop the abandonment! Make a deal (truce with Hamas) now!” shouted the protesters, supported by the main opposition leaders.
Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine determined that “the six hostages were murdered by Hamas terrorists with several point-blank shots“and that the deaths occurred “approximately 48 to 72 hours before their examination (between Thursday and early Friday morning).”
However, Hamas assured that the six hostages “They were killed only by Zionist bombings”blaming Israel and its main partner and arms supplier, the United States.
People attend a protest calling for the immediate return of hostages held in Gaza, outside the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem.
Reuters
The forum criticized Netanyahu for only eight hostages being rescued alive in military operations, compared to 105 released in the November truce agreement alone, in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli prisons.
“We do not expect the terrorist (Hamas leader Yahya) Sinwar to want to return the hostages, we expect the Israeli prime minister to do everything, everything, everything to bring the hostages home,” the Hostage Families Forum said, after Netanyahu again blamed Hamas, in a message of condolences, for the lack of a new pact. “Hamas is not the only one responsible for sabotaging the agreement”added the Forum in a statement.
Gallant’s review
The discovery of the hostages’ bodies has rekindled growing divisions within the government. In an unprecedented move, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant asked the cabinet to cancel Thursday’s vote to keep troops in the Philadelphia corridor, in order to reach a truce agreement as quickly as possible.
For his part, the minister ultranationalist of Finance, the Colonist Bezalel Smotrichreiterated in rejection of any “assignment agreement” and concluded that, on the contrary, it was the right time for “reduce the band”.
“The army is expected to advance two kilometres inland from the current border and clear everything in its path. This is territory that will never return to the hands of the people of Gaza,” the minister said in X.
The Minister of National Security then spoke in a similar tone: Colonist Itamar Ben Gvirwho said in a long message on
“Those who demand the release of thousands of terrorists (for the hostage exchange) and give Hamas control of the Philadelphia axis “intentionally abandon the security of the citizens of Israel,” Ben Gvir accused.
The truce negotiations have stalled amid cross-accusations that he is adding new demands to the proposal that the United States extended in May. Netanyahu has refused to meet some of Hamas’ demands, such as a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops from the Gaza Strip and the Philadelphia Corridor.
