Rare attack disrupts Israel as Biden says Netanyahu not doing enough to reach Gaza deal

Protesters demand a ceasefire and the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the death of six hostages in the Palestinian territory, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, September 2, 2024. (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)

TEL AVIV, Israel — A rare general strike in Israel to protest a failed attempt to free hostages held in the Gaza Strip sparked riots across the country on Monday, as U.S. President Joe Biden ratcheted up pressure, saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not doing enough to reach a ceasefire agreement and free the hostages.

In some areas the strike was ignored, reflecting deep political divisions in Israel over the ceasefire reached after nearly 11 months of fighting.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets late Sunday in grief and anger after six more hostages were found dead in Gaza in what appeared to be the largest protest since the beginning of the war. Families and much of the public blamed Netanyahu, saying they could have been returned alive under a deal with Hamas.

But others support Netanyahu’s strategy of keeping up military pressure on Hamas, whose Oct. 7 attack on Israel sparked the war. They say it would force the militants to submit to Israel’s demands, potentially facilitate rescue operations and ultimately destroy the group.

Biden spoke to reporters as he arrived at the White House for a meeting in the Situation Room with aides involved in negotiating the deal. Asked if Netanyahu was doing enough, Biden said: “No.”

He assured that negotiators must remain “very close” to an agreement, adding: “Hope never dies.”

Hamas has accused Israel of dragging out ceasefire talks for months, issuing new demands, including permanent Israeli control of two strategic corridors in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has offered to release all hostages in exchange for an end to the war, a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including prominent militants.

Netanyahu has promised “total victory” over Hamas and blames it for the failure of negotiations that have dragged on for most of this year.

Israel said six hostages found dead in Gaza were killed by Hamas shortly before Israeli forces arrived at the tunnel where they were being held. Three were expected to be released in the first phase of a ceasefire proposal discussed in July. The Israeli Health Ministry said autopsies showed the hostages were shot at close range and died on Thursday or Friday.

Thousands of people attended the funeral Monday of one of the six, Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old resident of Berkeley, Calif. He was one of the most high-profile hostages, and his parents led a high-profile campaign to free the captives, meeting with Biden, Pope Francis and speaking at the Democratic National Convention last month.

The general strike, called by Israel’s largest labor union, the Histadrut, ended early after a labor court ruled the strike must end by 2:30 p.m. local time, accepting a government petition that it called politically motivated.

It was the first strike of its kind since the beginning of the war, aimed at closing or disrupting major sectors of the economy, including banking and healthcare.

Airlines at Israel’s main international airport, Ben-Gurion, halted outbound flights between 8 and 10 a.m. Those flights either departed early or were slightly delayed. Inbound flights operated normally, according to the Israel Airports Authority.

“There is no need to punish the entire state of Israel because of what is happening, overall it is a victory for Hamas,” said one of the passengers, Amrani Yigal.

Jerusalem resident Avi Lavi said: “I think it’s fair, it’s time to rise up and wake up, do everything to make sure the hostages come back alive.”

The Histadrut reported that banks, some large shopping malls and government offices, as well as some public transport services, joined the strike, although no major disruptions were observed.

Municipalities in Israel’s populated central region, including Tel Aviv, participated, which led to shorter school hours. Other municipalities, including Jerusalem, did not participate.

Organizers of Sunday’s demonstrations estimated that up to 500,000 people joined the nationwide events and the main rally in Tel Aviv. Israeli media estimated that between 200,000 and 400,000 people took part.

Many are demanding that Netanyahu strike a deal to return the remaining 100 or so hostages held in Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead, even if it means leaving the devastated Hamas intact and withdrawing from the territory. Other Israelis have put the destruction of the militant group ahead of the freedom of the hostages.

About 250 hostages were taken on October 7. More than 100 were freed during a ceasefire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians held captive by Israel. Eight were rescued by Israeli forces. Israeli forces mistakenly killed three Israelis who escaped captivity in December.

Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during an assault on southern Israel on October 7. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. It did not say how many of them were militants.

The war has forced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people to flee their homes, often multiple times, and the besieged area has descended into a humanitarian catastrophe. There are also new concerns about an outbreak of polio.

Associated Press writers Julia Frankel and Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.