Israel ground to a partial halt on Sunday as tens of thousands of people joined a one-day general strike and rallies at more than 350 locations to demand a cease-fire in Gaza and a deal to free the remaining hostages. Demonstrators unfurled giant banners bearing captives’ photos, shut businesses and blocked key arteries including the Tel Aviv–Jerusalem highway, while some unions and major companies allowed staff to walk out in solidarity. Police deployed water cannons and said they had detained at least 38 protesters by mid-afternoon for disrupting public order. Clashes erupted in cities such as Rehovot, and bonfires were lit on several highways, briefly paralysing traffic. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which organised the action, urged the public to “shut down the country” until the government reaches an agreement with Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the call, telling his cabinet that ending the war before Hamas is defeated would “delay the hostages’ release and guarantee that the horrors of 7 October repeat themselves.” His government is pressing ahead with plans for the army to seize Gaza City—one of the last areas outside Israeli control— despite warnings from relatives that an expanded offensive could endanger the roughly 50 captives, of whom officials believe about 20 are still alive. The protests underscore mounting domestic pressure nearly two years into the conflict that began with Hamas’s 2023 cross-border attack, which killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 abductions. Gaza’s health authorities say Israel’s subsequent campaign has claimed more than 61,000 lives. Efforts by Egyptian and Qatari mediators to broker a 60-day truce collapsed in July, leaving families and much of Israeli civil society pushing the government for a negotiated resolution.