Large-scale work stoppage aimed at compelling agreement with Hamas
There's a grim sense of acceptance among Israelis: six more captives under Hamas' control have met their end. Outrage and grief propel tens of thousands into the streets. Also planning a nationwide strike to push Prime Minister Netanyahu into bringing back the remaining captives still in Gaza.
The pressure on the Israeli administration to ink a deal with Hamas increases after six more slain hostages were retrieved from the Gaza Strip. Israel's central labor union, Histadrut, has set a general strike for Monday to advocate for the remaining captives in Gaza, family members of the abducted and opposition leader Yair Lapid have urged demonstrations. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced shock at the uncovered fatalities. While during the day, tens of thousands participated in a protest rally in Tel Aviv, demanding the liberation of the remaining captives. Protests also erupted in other cities.
Arnon Bar David, Histadrut's vice-president, asserted, "Only our intervention can shake those who require jolting," referring to Netanyahu's government, accused of hindering a deal with Hamas by raising new demands. From Monday morning at 6 am, "the entire Israeli economy will observe a full strike," Bar David penned.
Relatives of the captives had already appealed for a general strike and requested union support. The goal is to compel the administration to swiftly close a deal for the prisoners' release, the family members' collective and missing persons' forum explained. Lapid supported these demands.
Minister: The Cabinet Must Reverse Decision
Israel's Defense Minister Joav Gallant made his stance clear: The cabinet must reverse its decision made on Thursday to maintain Israeli military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, he demanded. This border zone between the Gaza Strip and Egypt serves as a point of contention in ceasefire negotiations.
Barely eleven months after the Islamic Hamas launched its assault on Israel, the Israeli army recovered six captives' bodies inside a tunnel in Rafah, Gaza's south, on Saturday. Five of them were kidnapped during Hamas' attack on the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel on October 7. A young woman, now found slain, was snatched from Kibbutz Beeri.
Those who perished included Israeli-American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin. His parents, who recently addressed the Democratic Party Convention, implored, "Remember our son."
Crowds Rally in Tel Aviv
After uncovering the six corpses, tens of thousands of Israelis took part in a protest rally in Tel Aviv. Demonstrators marched through the city's central streets, waving blue and white national flags, carrying placards, and mourning the deceased. Symbolic coffins stood in the city's heart. Protest actions also occurred in other cities, including Jerusalm, where participants blocked streets and chanted outside Premier Netanyahu's residence. Aerial footage unveiled the main Tel Aviv roadway being obstructed by demonstrators bearing hostage portraits.
The crowd demanded an immediate deal from the government for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and the release of hostages trapped by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Back-channel negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, have stalled for months.
"We won't leave them behind," protesters chanted, voicing support for the captives.
Israel's Health Ministry announced on Sunday the preliminary findings of the deceased's post-mortem examinations. They revealed that the six individuals "had been murdered by Hamas militants, using multiple close-range gunshots, approximately 48 to 72 hours prior to the examination."
According to Hamas sources, published on Sunday, Goldberg-Polin's name was on a "Hamas-approved list" of captives for exchange in the event of a ceasefire. Media reports suggest that three of the now-deceased were slated for release as part of any agreement.
Critics accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the Gaza conflict for political gains. In a conversation with the parents of hostage Alexander Lobanov on Sunday, Netanyahu asked for "forgiveness (...) that I could not bring Sasha back alive."
Scholz, posting on the online platform X, penned, "The sad news of six hostages found dead in the Gaza Strip leaves us mourning and enraged." Scholz further highlighted that "Hamas terrorists bear responsibility for these victims' deaths, including a German-Israeli connection." The slain hostage Carmel Gat is the sister-in-law of German-Israeli Yarden Roman-Gat, who was released from Hamas custody in November.
On October 7, Hamas fighters, as per Israeli reports, murdered 1,205 and grabbed 251 hostages, forcing them to Gaza. Eleven months later, based on recent Israeli reports, 97 hostages are still detained by Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups, with 33 reportedly deceased. Israel conducts continuous large-scale military operations in the Gaza Strip, in response to the Hamas attack.
According to Hamas, which cannot be independently verified, over 40,700 individuals have lost their lives since October. Mediators, the US, Qatar, and Egypt, have failed to reach agreement between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release for months.
The Commission, formed to negotiate a deal between Israel and Hamas, faces increased pressure to secure the release of the remaining captives following the discovery of six more deceased hostages. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, The Commission should intensify its efforts to revive the stalled back-channel negotiations with the US, Qatar, and Egypt, ensuring the safe return of the remaining hostages.
