Israelis launch nationwide strike as mass protests call for deal

TEL AVIV

Demonstrators took to the streets across Israel on Aug. 17 as part of a general strike, calling for an end to the war in Gaza and a deal to release hostages still held by militants.

The protests come more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, following 22 months of war that have created dire humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory.

Forty-nine captives remain in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

A huge Israeli flag covered with portraits of the remaining captives was unfurled in Tel Aviv's so-called Hostage Square, which has long been a focal point for protests throughout the war.

Demonstrators also blocked several roads in the city, including the highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where demonstrators set tires on fire and caused traffic jams, according to local media footage.

Protest organizers and the main campaign group representing the families of hostages also called for a general strike on Aug. 17, the first day of the week in Israel.

In Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv, many businesses were shut. Israel’s largest labor federation, leading universities and numerous institutions joined the strike, while concerts and theater performances across the country were canceled.

The opposition, meanwhile, urged the public to take to the streets in an effort to intensify pressure on the government.

"I think it's time to end the war. It's time to release all of the hostages. And it's time to help Israel recover and move towards a more stable Middle East," said Doron Wilfand, a 54-year-old tour guide, at a rally in Jerusalem.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group said in a statement that protesters would "shut down the country todaY with one clear call: Bring back the 50 hostages, end the war.”

The forum plans to set up a protest tent near the Gaza border, vowing to "escalate our struggle and do everything possible to bring back our beloved ones.”

Speaking at a rally in Tel Aviv, Israeli President Issac Herzog said "we want them back as soon as possible,” calling for international pressure on Hamas.

Some Israeli government members who oppose any deal with Hamas slammed the demonstrations.

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich decried "a perverse and harmful campaign that plays into the hands of Hamas.”

Meanwhile, Israel’s military said it is preparing to forcibly move Palestinians from Gaza City to the southern part of the enclave, as part of its broader plan to reoccupy the Gaza Strip.

Starting on Aug. 17, the army would resume allowing the entry of tents and shelter equipment for Palestinians, a statement said.