Demonstrations were held in several hundred places in the country, from Galilee in the north to Eilat in the south, writes The Times of Israel. The demonstrators demand an end to the Gaza war and that an agreement be reached with the terrorist-stamped Hamas to release the remaining hostages.
In the so-called hostage square in Tel Aviv – which has been the center of protests throughout the war – a gigantic Israeli flag with portraits of the remaining hostages is hanging.
Blocking roads
The demonstrators have blocked roads around the country, including the highway that connects Tel Aviv with Jerusalem, where demonstrators set fire to tires and caused traffic congestion. About 30 people have been arrested by the police for disorderly conduct.
It's time to end the war. It's time to release all the hostages. And it's time to help Israel recover and move towards a more stable Middle East, says Doron Wilfand, one of the participants in a demonstration in Jerusalem, to the news agency AFP.
The organizers behind the protests have called for a general strike on Sunday – the first working day of the week in Israel.
Employees allowed to participate
Hundreds of local authorities, businesses, universities, technology companies and other organizations have stated that they would allow their employees to participate in the strike if they wanted to.
Even though the trade union umbrella organization Histadrut has announced that it will not participate in the strike, the union has said that it supports the workers who participate in the protests.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticized the demonstrators and says that their actions "strengthen Hamas' position and prolong the release of the hostages".
