Israel experienced one of its largest anti-war mobilisations since the conflict in Gaza began, as a one-day general strike and coordinated rallies swept the country on Sunday. Organisers from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said more than 200,000 people filled Tel Aviv’s ‘Hostage Square’, while demonstrations were reported at more than 350 sites nationwide, including outside the prime minister’s residence and on the main highway linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Many businesses closed and traffic arteries were deliberately blocked to dramatise demands for an immediate cease-fire and a prisoner-exchange agreement to free the roughly 50 remaining captives held in Gaza. Police deployed reinforced units, used water cannons and arrested between 25 and 38 people for alleged public-order offences, according to statements cited by Associated Press and Reuters. Despite the disruption, organisers said the action was intended as a “day of stoppage” to emphasise what they call the supreme value of saving lives, amid mounting concern that a planned Israeli ground assault on Gaza City would imperil the hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the protests, arguing that calls to halt the war without first defeating Hamas would harden the militant group’s stance and delay any release of captives. Far-right cabinet members echoed that line, while opposition leader Yair Lapid praised the demonstrations as a show of national solidarity. The domestic pressure comes as Israel’s military finalises plans to expand operations in the Gaza Strip. Gaza’s health ministry puts the Palestinian death toll at more than 61,000, while about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel that triggered the war. Israeli authorities estimate about 20 of the remaining hostages are still alive. Protest leaders warned they will escalate civil action unless the government shifts course and prioritises a negotiated deal.