Gaza war: Israelis go on strike demanding Netanyahu agrees to ceasefire and hostage release

On Monday, protesters took to the streets in Israel for the second day in a row and Israel's largest trade union launched a general strike to pressure the government to reach an agreement on the release of hostages still held by Hamas after six more prisoners were found dead in Gaza.

The strike caused disruptions to transportation and medical services in several Israeli districts, and many shops and businesses were forced to close after the head of the Histadrut union, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers, called for a general strike.

The recovery of the six hostages, who the Health Ministry said were shot dead by Israeli forces 48 to 72 hours before they were discovered, sparked a wave of grief and anger in Israel and prompted at least half a million people to take to the streets in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Sunday.

The demonstrators are demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conclude a ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian militia Hamas in order to bring the remaining hostages home.

Critics accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the conflict – and thereby reducing the chances of new elections, which polls show he would lose – instead of prioritizing the safe return of the roughly 100 hostages still held in Gaza. Hostilities have spread to the West Bank, another Palestinian territory, and neighboring Lebanon, threatening to drag the region into a wider war.