There has been a general strike in Israel over hostages

Jon Polin, 48, and the Gazans: Are they still alive? The humanitarian issue impacted by Israel’s response to the November 29 Gaza offensive

“This is a political convention. But needing our only son — and all of the cherished hostages — home is not a political issue. Jon Polin said that it was a humanitarian issue. His mother, Rachel, bowed her head and touched her chest, as she told Hersh to stay strong.

She and her husband sought to keep their son and the others held from being reduced to numbers, describing Hersh as a music and soccer lover and traveler with plans to attend university since his military service had ended. At events she often addressed her son directly in the hope he could hear her, urging him to live another day.

Israeli forces rescued eight hostages on Tuesday. More than 100 were freed during a weeklong cease-fire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not say how many were fighters or civilians. It has wreaked havoc on Gaza’s population, often many times, and resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe.

Netanyahu said Israel would hold Hamas accountable for killing the hostages in “cold blood,” and blamed the militant group for the stalled negotiations, saying “whoever murders hostages doesn’t want a deal.”

“A deal for the return of the hostages has been on the table for over two months. It said in a statement that if it wasn’t for delays, sabotage, and excuses, those whose deaths we learned about this morning would likely still be alive.

A forum of hostage families called for a massive protest on Sunday, demanding a “complete halt of the country” to push for the implementation of a cease-fire and hostage release.

Israeli Defense Minister Daniel Hagari Meets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the Gaza-Egypt border after Israel’s Oct. 7 Attack

The heart of the nation is shattered to pieces, said Israel’s ceremonial president. In the name of the state of Israel, Gallant said he would ask forgiveness from the families. There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu.

Netanyahu says military pressure needs to be applied to bring home the hostages in order to continue the war. According to Israel’s Channel 12 he got into a shouting match with the defense minister who accused him of favoring control over the Gaza-Egypt border over the lives of hostages.

They were killed by Hamas before we arrived, according to Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.

It said the bodies were recovered from a tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, around a kilometer (0.6 mile) from where another hostage, Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, was rescued alive last week.

Five people were also taken from the music festival, and the army identified them all as hostages. The sixth, Carmel Gat, 40, was abducted from the nearby farming community of Be’eri.

The native of Berkeley, California, lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the attack. In April, a Hamas-issued video showed him alive but with his left hand missing, sparking new protests in Israel urging the government to do more to secure the hostages’ release.

Militants seized Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and four of the other hostages at a music festival in southern Israel during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which triggered the war.

In the occupied west bank, three people were killed when they were shot at a vehicle by masked men who opened fire on the vehicle. The Magen David Adom rescue service confirmed the casualties.

Israel vs. Hamas in the First Day of the Gaza War: The Case for a General Strike to Return Its Foes

He was one of the best-known hostages, and his parents had led a high-profile campaign for the captives’ release, meeting with President Joe Biden, Pope Francis, and addressing the Democratic National Convention last month.

Gallant asked forgiveness for the families after the remains were recovered, in the name of the state of Israel. He called for the Cabinet to reverse its decision.

In exchange for an end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, Hamas would release hostages and allow the release of high-profile militant prisoners.

Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said the hostages would still be alive if Israel had accepted a U.S.- backed cease-fire proposal that Hamas said it had agreed to back in July.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesperson, said the army believed there were hostages in the area but had no specific intelligence. He said there was no firefight in the tunnel itself as Israeli forces found the bodies several dozen meters underground.

TEL AVIV, Israel — A rare call for a general strike in Israel to protest the failure to return hostages held in Gaza led to closures and other disruptions around the country on Monday, including at its main international airport. But it was ignored in some areas, reflecting deep political divisions.

The Histadrut represents some 800,000 workers in such areas as health care, transportation and banking, and it said the strike would include the international airport, with all flights halted. The strike is aimed at persuading Israel’s government to reach a deal to bring home the remaining hostages.

A new wave of protests was set to begin Sunday evening in Israel, fueled by raw anger and grief. Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for failing to bring them back alive in a deal with Hamas to end the 10-month-old war. Negotiations over such a deal have dragged on for months.

The war has left over two million Gazans homeless and plunged the territory into a humanitarian catastrophe.

The main demonstration held in Tel Aviv on Sunday appeared to have been the largest since the start of the war, with organizers claiming that up to 500,000 people joined nationwide events. 200,000 to 400,000 took part in the event, as reported by Israeli media.

Jerusalem wasn’t participating in the strike. The state appealed to a labor court in an attempt to end the strike, it was reported.

Airlines at Israel’s main international airport Ben-Gurion were halting outgoing flights between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. Travelers were lined up at check-in countertops despite the limited disruption as the flights departed early or were slightly delayed. Arriving flights were continuing as usual during that time, according to the Israel Airports Authority.