Widespread demonstrations and a general strike paralyze Israel: Arrests and closures in protest against the Gaza war.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Special

Arab Gulf - Agencies: On Sunday, the occupied cities witnessed an unprecedented wave of protests, including a general strike and widespread closures of vital roads, to demand a halt to the war on Gaza and reach an urgent deal leading to the release of the hostages. Israeli police announced the arrest of 32 demonstrators during marches that began in the morning, where protesters blocked major roads linking Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, before heading towards the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The police used water cannons to disperse the demonstrators and forcibly removed dozens of them, while most of the roads were later reopened, with the exception of a major tunnel in Jerusalem that remains closed. In Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, the voices of the detainees' families rose, demanding that the government end the cycle of war through a comprehensive exchange deal. Arbel Yehud - a former detainee - addressed the crowds, saying: "Military pressure does not bring back the hostages, but kills them. The deal is the only way, all at once and without maneuvers." She added firmly: "We must stop normal life until all the prisoners return. You have seen the horrors, so how long will you turn a blind eye?" The protests, described as the largest since the outbreak of the war, attracted a prominent political presence; Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog visited Hostages Square in solidarity with the families, while opposition leader Yair Lapid appeared to confirm his support for the protesters, saying in a video message: "We are closing the country today because the hostages are not pawns on a chessboard, but citizens that the government must return to their families." The protest scene was accompanied by the burning of tires and the raising of pictures of the hostages and the Israeli flag, at a time when internal and external criticism of the Netanyahu government's policies is escalating, especially after the army announced its intention to expand military operations in Gaza, which aroused the ire of even some close European allies. It is worth noting that the majority of previous hostage releases took place through negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, but the ceasefire talks collapsed last July, while international efforts are still underway to revive the negotiating track.