Israel came to a partial standstill on Sunday as families of hostages held in Gaza led a one-day general strike and mass demonstrations demanding an immediate cease-fire agreement with Hamas. Organisers said rallies were staged in more than 350 locations and claimed over 2.5 million participants nationwide, including some 300,000 in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, one of the largest turnouts since the war began 22 months ago. Protesters waved Israeli flags, carried photographs of their loved ones and blocked main roads, including the Jerusalem–Tel Aviv highway. Police used water cannons to disperse crowds and reported 38 arrests by mid-afternoon. Demonstrations paused briefly when nationwide sirens warned of an incoming missile from Yemen that was intercepted before impact. Some businesses, cultural venues and municipal offices closed in solidarity with the strike. The mobilisation reflects growing domestic pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose cabinet last week approved plans for the army to seize Gaza City. Netanyahu told ministers that ending the war now would "harden Hamas’ position," while opponents argue the expanded offensive endangers the roughly 50 captives still in Gaza, only about 20 of whom are thought to be alive. Israeli actress Gal Gadot and opposition leader Yair Lapid were among public figures who met with protesting families. The war, triggered by Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251, has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians according to Gaza health officials. Negotiations over a cease-fire and prisoner-exchange collapsed in July, and prospects for a deal remain uncertain despite Sunday’s show of popular dissent.