Israeli Police Clash with Protesters as Nationwide Strike Demands Hostage Deal

JERUSALEM: Israeli police deployed water cannons and arrested at least 38 demonstrators on Sunday as thousands took part in a nationwide strike demanding the government secure a deal to bring home hostages held by Hamas.

The strike, billed as a “day of stoppage,” was organized by groups representing hostage families and bereaved relatives. It came weeks after Hamas released disturbing videos of malnourished captives, intensifying pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which is preparing for a new military offensive.

Protesters argue that continued fighting endangers the hostages seized during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks, which triggered the ongoing war. Israel estimates that about 20 hostages are still alive, while Hamas is believed to be holding the remains of around 30 others.

Chanting “We don’t win a war over the bodies of hostages.” Demonstrators blocked highways, lit bonfires, and rallied outside politicians’ homes and military headquarters. Businesses, including some restaurants and theaters, closed in solidarity.

Former hostage Arbel Yehoud told crowds in Tel Aviv, “Military pressure doesn’t bring hostages back; it only kills them. The only way is through a deal, all at once, without games.”

At Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, Anat Angrest, mother of hostage Matan Angrest, said, “Today, we stop everything to save and bring back the hostages and soldiers. We stop everything to remember the sanctity of life and to join hands right, left, center, and everyone in between.”

Protesters also distributed yellow ribbons, the symbol of solidarity with the hostages, at intersections across Israel.

Netanyahu has insisted on the hostages’ release but warned that calls for a ceasefire risk emboldening Hamas.

“Those who today call for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas’s position and delaying the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of Oct. 7 will be repeated,” he said Sunday.

Far-right ministers have threatened to collapse Netanyahu’s coalition if he agrees to a truce that leaves Hamas in power. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich denounced the strike as “a harmful campaign that plays into Hamas’ hands, buries the hostages in the tunnels, and attempts to force Israel to surrender.”

The demonstrations, among the largest since six hostages were found dead in Gaza last September, reflect mounting frustration within Israeli society as families plead for a negotiated deal, while the government remains committed to military pressure.

For many protesters, the priority is clear: bringing their loved ones home.