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Hundreds of protesters block Tel Aviv's main highway on the night of August 1, reacting to the discovery of six more Israeli hostages found dead in Gaza. This protest follows tens of thousands of grieving and angry Israelis surging into the streets, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agree to a cease-fire with Hamas to secure the release of the remaining captives. The outpouring of emotion and frustration appears to be the largest demonstration in the 11 months of ongoing conflict, with many protesters feeling it could mark a turning point in the deeply divided nation. Israel’s largest trade union, the Histadrut, adds pressure on the government by calling for a general strike on Monday, the first since the October 7 Hamas attack that ignited the war. The strike aims to shut down or disrupt major sectors of the economy, including banking, healthcare, and the country’s main airport, adding to the mounting pressure on Netanyahu. Negotiations for a cease-fire have dragged on for months, with many Israelis blaming Netanyahu for the lack of progress. Polls indicate that a majority of Israelis favor a cease-fire deal, but Netanyahu still has significant support for his strategy of achieving “total victory” against Hamas, even if it means delaying a deal for the hostages. In Jerusalem, thousands of people, some weeping, gather outside Netanyahu's office, while in Tel Aviv, relatives of the hostages march with symbolic coffins. The protesters are making one of the strongest demands yet for Netanyahu to reach a cease-fire deal, with aerial drone footage capturing the massive crowd filling the city's streets. Many protesters blame Netanyahu for the ongoing stalemate in negotiations, which have stretched on for nearly 11 months. The Israeli army acknowledges the difficulty of rescuing the dozens of remaining hostages, stating that a deal is the only viable way to secure their large-scale return. One of the recently confirmed dead is Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American from Berkeley, California, who lost part of his left arm in the October 7 attack. A Hamas-issued video in April showed him alive, reigniting protests across Israel. The army identifies the other victims as Ori Danino, 25; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 27; Alexander Lobanov, 33; and Carmel Gat, 40. The general strike called by Histadrut is expected to disrupt major sectors of the economy, including banking, healthcare, and the country’s main airport. This will be the first general strike since the October 7 Hamas attack, and it reflects the growing frustration and demands for immediate government action in the face of the ongoing conflict and hostage crisis. #netanyahu #israelhamaswar #gazaceasefire #worldnews n18oc_world n18oc_crux CRUX is your daily video news guide to the big events that are shaping our world. We track news, geopolitics, diplomacy and defence strategies and explain how they shape national policies. Crux makes sense of global developments, and analyses their impact on daily lives. Follow CRUX on Telegram: Follow CRUX on Instagram (@): Follow CRUX on Facebook: #GetCloserToTheNews with latest headlines on politics, sports and entertainment on Also watch: Crux Decode: Crux : Crux Most Watched:
