A countrywide general strike began on Sunday morning, with families of the hostages demonstrating against the government’s choice to increase the conflict in Gaza by launching an effort to capture Gaza City instead of negotiating a deal to bring back their relatives.
The strike was coordinated by the October Council, which includes some family members of the hostages or grieving relatives of those who died during the conflict that began with the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, along with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
The forum announced on Saturday night that it was getting ready for almost one million individuals to go through Hostages Square in Tel Aviv during the day, with tens of thousands participating in events at hundreds of other locations throughout Israel.
The event started at 6:29 a.m.—the same time Hamas launched its attack on October 7, 2023—when a series of demonstrations took place at various road crossings throughout the nation.
Demonstrators will be positioned at the street corners distributing yellow ribbons, a symbol representing the captives, to those walking by, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
The forum released a map showing the sites where early-morning demonstrations are scheduled.
The day’s key events began at 7 a.m., with the October Council scheduled to issue a statement to the media at Sarona Market in Tel Aviv, located just across from the Kirya military headquarters.
Subsequently, at 9 a.m., an exclusive photo display will commence at Hostages Square, available for visitors to explore during the day, ending at 6 p.m.
The primary stage at Hostages Square will also include addresses from family members of the captives at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m., according to the forum.
Protest demonstrations highlighting particular sectors will take place in Tel Aviv during the day, featuring a doctors’ march at 9 a.m. and a students’ march at 5 p.m.
The students’ protest will be followed by a press release from senior professors.
Numerous companies and groups involved in the strike will have their representatives at vigils in Hostages Square all day, taking turns every hour, according to the forum.
At 6 p.m., a religious ceremony will take place at Hostages Square, followed by demonstrators joining families of the hostages in a march from Tel Aviv–Savidor Center railway station to Hostages Square for a major gathering at 8 p.m.
Car convoys will depart from various parts of Israel at 4 p.m. and head to Tel Aviv for the evening gathering.
A variety of events and demonstrations are scheduled in regions outside of Tel Aviv, such as a protest caravan in the Western Galilee, located in northern Israel, and a protest near the Mall Hayam shopping center in Eilat, which is situated at the southern end of Israel.
Several local councils have also arranged their own events in support of the families of the captives, such as the Haifa Municipality, which will join the families of hostages in a demonstration at 10 a.m.
In the meantime, several events were also scheduled in the communities near the Gaza border that experienced the most severe impact from Hamas’s violent attack.
Multiple groups of tractors are anticipated to travel along Route 232, the crucial southern road that has transformed into a deadly zone, where on October 7, Hamas militants shot people attempting to escape the assault.
The local Sha’ar HaNegev and Eshkol regional councils will be on strike throughout Sunday, with groups in the border city of Sderot and the nearby town of Ofakim also planning their own protests.
In the days before the strike, hundreds of local officials, companies, universities, technology firms, and other entities declared their support for the strike or permitted their staff to participate if they chose to.
Even though the Histadrut, Israel’s primary labor union, stated it would not take part in the strike, it mentioned that it would still back employees who intend to take part in demonstration marches on Sunday.
The labor union’s choice to abstain from involvement came after a discussion involving Histadrut leader Arnon Bar-David, top business representatives, and members of the hostage families leading the strike.
He informed the families that he was worried the participation of the influential union might shift the public conversation about the hostages’ return toward political issues.
If I were aware that a strike—not merely for a single day but for an extended period—would resolve the issue, halt the conflict, and return the hostages, I would pursue it with full determination,” Bar-David stated. “Unfortunately, despite the intense anger I feel, it leads to no tangible results.
Unions and groups that have declared their intention to support the strike or assist workers who wanted to express their grievances include the Forum of Cultural and Art Institutions, the employees’ union of the Israel Airports Authority, and the Israel Bar Association.
A protest organization opposing the government, representing numerous of the nation’s leading technology firms, which together employ tens of thousands of employees, also declared last week that it would participate in the strike. Some of the tech companies involved include Wix, Fiverr, Meta, Papaya Global, HoneyBook, Natural Intelligence, and Fireblocks. The group also comprises venture capital firms like Qumra Capital, Pitango, Disruptive, and NFX.
Terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip are keeping 50 captives, among them 49 of the 251 individuals taken during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which led to the conflict in Gaza. This includes the remains of at least 28 people confirmed deceased by the IDF. Twenty are thought to be alive, while there are serious worries about the condition of two others, according to Israeli authorities. Hamas is also holding the body of an IDF soldier who died in Gaza in 2014.
The Gaza health ministry, led by Hamas, reports that over 60,000 individuals in the area have been killed or are considered missing due to the ongoing conflict, although the figures remain unconfirmed and do not separate between non-combatants and combatants.
Sharon Wrobel was involved in this report.
The post Mass demonstrations anticipated throughout Israel as a nationwide strike for the release of hostages begins appeared first on The Times of Israel.
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