Protesters in Israel participated in a nationwide strike on Sunday to demand a deal that may end in a ceasefire with Hamas and the discharge of hostages who stay in Gaza. The “day of stoppage,” which blocked roads and closed companies, marked an escalation within the inhabitants’s rising frustration after 22 months of battle.
Police responding to Sunday’s demonstrations blasted crowds with water cannons and made dozens of arrests. In a single occasion, officers stopped a number of protesters from attempting to interrupt into the central Ayalon freeway in Tel Aviv, resulting in a confrontation between them throughout which a protester was forcibly arrested, CBS Information discovered. Police additionally confiscated the protesters’ gear.
The “day of stoppage” was organized by two teams representing a number of the households of hostages and bereaved households, weeks after militant teams launched movies of hostages and Israel introduced plans for a brand new army offensive in a few of Gaza’s most populated areas.
Demonstrators block a highway throughout a protest demanding the quick launch of hostages held by Hamas and calling for the Israeli authorities to reverse its determination to take over Gaza Metropolis and different areas within the Gaza Strip, close to Jerusalem, Israel, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025.
Ohad Zwigenberg / AP
Protesters, who concern additional combating may endanger the 50 hostages believed to stay in Gaza, solely about 20 of whom are regarded as alive, chanted: “We do not win a battle over the our bodies of hostages.”
Protesters gathered at dozens of factors all through Israel, together with outdoors politicians’ houses, army headquarters and on main highways, the place they had been sprayed with water cannons as they blocked lanes and lit bonfires that cloaked roads in smoke. Some eating places and theaters had been closed in solidarity.
Police mentioned that they had arrested 32 as a part of the nationwide demonstration — one of many fiercest because the uproar over six hostages discovered useless in Gaza final September.
“Navy stress would not convey hostages again — it solely kills them,” former hostage Arbel Yehoud mentioned at an indication in Tel Aviv’s hostage sq.. “The one solution to convey them again is thru a deal, all of sudden, with out video games.”
“Immediately, we cease the whole lot to save lots of and produce again the hostages and troopers. Immediately, we cease the whole lot to recollect the supreme worth of the sanctity of life,” mentioned Anat Angrest, mom of hostage Matan Angrest. “Immediately, we cease the whole lot to affix fingers — proper, left, middle and the whole lot in between.”
Demonstrators block a highway throughout a protest demanding the quick launch of hostages held by Hamas and calling for the Israeli authorities to reverse its determination to take over Gaza Metropolis and different areas within the Gaza Strip, close to Jerusalem, Israel, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025.
Ohad Zwigenberg / AP
Protesters at freeway intersections handed out yellow ribbons, the image that represents the hostages, the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board, which organized the stoppage, mentioned.
Although Israel’s largest labor union, Histadrut, finally didn’t be a part of Sunday’s motion, strikes of this magnitude are comparatively uncommon in Israel. Many companies and municipalities determined independently to strike.
Nonetheless, an finish to the battle doesn’t seem close to. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded the quick launch of the hostages however is balancing competing pressures, haunted by the potential for mutiny inside his coalition.
Israeli leaders criticize demonstrations
Netanyahu addressed the protests on Sunday at a cupboard assembly, saying they had been benefiting Hamas.
“Those that are calling in the present day for an finish to the battle with out Hamas’ elimination are usually not solely hardening Hamas’ place and delaying the discharge of our hostages, they’re additionally guaranteeing that the horrors of October 7 will repeat themselves and that we must struggle an countless battle,” the prime minister mentioned.
Far-right members of his cupboard insist they will not assist any deal that enables Hamas to retain energy. The final time Israel agreed to a ceasefire that launched hostages, they threatened to topple Netanyahu’s authorities.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday known as the stoppage “a foul and dangerous marketing campaign that performs into Hamas’ fingers, buries the hostages within the tunnels and makes an attempt to get Israel to give up to its enemies and jeopardize its safety and future.”
Nationwide Safety Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in a press release, accused protesters of attempting to “weaken Israel.” Like Smotrich, he mentioned the strike “strengthens Hamas and delays the return of the hostages.”
Individuals participate in a protest demanding the tip of the battle, the quick launch of hostages held by Hamas within the Gaza Strip, and towards Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s authorities in Tel Aviv, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.
Mahmoud Illean / AP
Gaza’s Hamas-run well being ministry reported that 47 folks had been killed and a minimum of 226 had been wounded throughout the territory within the final 24 hours alone. In the meantime, hospitals and eyewitnesses in Gaza reported a minimum of 17 aid-seekers had been killed by Israeli forces on Sunday, together with 9 awaiting assist vehicles near the Morag hall. The dying toll amongst Palestinians ready for meals and different assist in Gaza has climbed this summer season, sparking outcry all over the world as hunger and malnutrition run rampant within the enclave.
Hamza Asfour mentioned he was simply north of the hall, awaiting a convoy, when Israeli snipers fired, first to disperse the crowds, then from tanks a whole lot of meters away.
He noticed two folks with gunshot wounds — one within the chest and different within the shoulder.
“It is both to take this threat or wait and see my household die of hunger,” he mentioned. “There is no such thing as a different possibility.”
The Gaza Humanitarian Basis, which runs the distribution factors, mentioned there was no gunfire Sunday “at or close to” its websites, which sit on the finish of assist truck routes.
Israel’s army didn’t instantly reply to questions on strikes within the three areas.
Israel’s air and floor battle has already killed tens of hundreds of individuals in Gaza and displaced many of the inhabitants. The United Nations is warning that ranges of hunger and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest because the battle started.
The Hamas-led assault in 2023 killed round 1,200 folks in Israel. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed 61,897 folks in Gaza, in keeping with the Well being Ministry, which doesn’t specify what number of had been fighters or civilians however says round half had been ladies and kids.
2 extra youngsters die from malnutrition-related causes
On Sunday, two youngsters died of malnutrition-related causes in Gaza, bringing the dying toll from such causes over the past 24 hours to seven, in keeping with Gaza’s well being ministry. The entire variety of deaths associated to hunger has risen to 251, together with 110 youngsters, mentioned the well being ministry, which is a part of the Hamas-run authorities and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and impartial specialists take into account it essentially the most dependable supply on casualties. Israel disputes its figures however has not supplied its personal.
Whereas demonstrators in Israel demanded a ceasefire, Israel started making ready for an invasion of Gaza Metropolis and different populated elements of the besieged strip, geared toward destroying Hamas.
The army physique that coordinates its humanitarian assist to Gaza mentioned Sunday that the provision of tents to the territory would resume. COGAT mentioned it might enable the United Nations to renew importing tents and shelter gear into Gaza forward of plans to forcibly evacuate folks from fight zones “for his or her safety.”
The vast majority of help has been blocked from coming into Gaza since Israel imposed a complete blockade in March after a ceasefire collapsed when Israel restarted its offensive. Deliveries have since partially resumed, although assist organizations say the move is way under what is required. Some have accused Israel of “weaponizing assist” by blockades and guidelines they are saying flip humanitarian help right into a instrument of its political and army targets.
Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen’s capital on Sunday, escalating strikes on Iran-backed Houthis, who, because the battle started, have fired missiles at Israel and focused ships within the Pink Sea.
Each the IDF and a Houthi-run tv station in Yemen introduced the strikes. Al-Masirah Tv mentioned they focused an influence plant within the southern district of Sanhan, sparking a fireplace and knocking it out of service, the Yemeni station mentioned. Israel’s army mentioned Sunday’s strikes focused vitality infrastructure it claimed was being utilized by the Houthis, and had been launched in response to missiles and drones geared toward Israel.
Whereas some projectiles have breached its missile defenses — notably throughout its 12-day battle with Iran in June — Israel has intercepted the overwhelming majority of missiles launched from Yemen.
U.S. blocks customer visas from Gaza
The U.S. Division of State on Saturday introduced that it might cease issuing customer visas for folks from Gaza.
“All customer visas for people from Gaza are being stopped whereas we conduct a full and thorough assessment of the method and procedures used to problem a small variety of non permanent medical-humanitarian visas in current days,” the division wrote in a social media submit.
Some humanitarian teams have condemned the pause as a result of these visas could also be issued to folks in want of medical remedy overseas, CBS Information accomplice BBC Information reported.
The nonprofit group Palestine Youngsters’s Aid Fund mentioned in a press release to BBC Information that the choice “could have a devastating and irreversible impression on our capability to convey injured and critically ailing youngsters from Gaza to the US for lifesaving medical remedy.”