Thousands of Israelis call for ceasefire after 6 more hostages killed in Gaza

Israel is experiencing one of the toughest days since the start of the war in Gaza after the bodies of six hostages were recovered from a tunnel in the city of Rafah, just one kilometre from where Farhan Alkadi was found and rescued alive last week.  

Earlier on Sunday, the army confirmed the deaths of Carmel Gat (40), Eden Yerushalmi (24), American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin (23), Alexander Lobanov (32), Almog Sarusi (25) and Ori Danino (25), all killed by Hamas shortly before their bodies were found by Israeli forces. 

According to the Israeli Health Ministry, the six were killed ‘with several shots fired at close range’ on Thursday or Friday, approximately 48 to 72 hours before the autopsy. Similarly, according to Israeli media, the condition of their bodies indicated ‘systematic neglect’, including lack of hygiene over a long period of time. There was also evidence of previous injuries sustained during their abduction. 

The discovery of the lifeless bodies of these six hostages has deeply shocked Israeli society, which has been in the throes of collective trauma since 7 October. Pain and sadness have given way to indignation and anger at Benjamin Netanyahu's government for still not having reached a ceasefire agreement that would allow the return of the 101 hostages still held in Gaza.  

Chanting ‘Now!’, thousands of Israelis have flooded the streets of Tel Aviv and other cities in one of the largest protests so far. According to the Hostages' Families Forum, more than 300,000 people took part in the demonstrations in Tel Aviv and 500,000 across the country. 

The mass protests were joined by a general strike called by the Israeli trade union Histadrut in support of the hostages. With the aim of paralysing the national economy, government and municipal offices have closed, as well as schools and many private businesses during the morning. Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport also announced a two-hour flight suspension. 

In addition to demanding an immediate agreement from the executive, many have condemned Netanyahu's decision to maintain control of the Philadelphi corridor, one of the main issues hindering a ceasefire agreement.  

According to the families, voting in favour of the Philadelphia corridor and against the agreement to bring back the hostages ‘means signing a death sentence for the living hostages who have been waiting 11 months to return home, and abandoning forever the murdered hostages’.    

Although many argue that Netanyahu's refusal to withdraw contributed to the deaths of the six hostages, the prime minister claims that the recent killings are a reason to stand ‘firm’ in the Philadelphia corridor.  

As the prime minister explained, such a decision would be considered ‘a reward for terrorism’ and ‘send a dangerous message to Hamas that killing the hostages is worth it’, reports The Jerusalem Post. ‘It will lead to demands for more and more concessions that will endanger Israel's security,’ he added.  

On the lack of a ceasefire, Netanyahu stressed that ‘those who kill hostages are not looking for a deal’, blaming Hamas for the stalemate in negotiations. 

To reach a ceasefire, the terrorist group demands the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, as well as the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners involved in terrorist attacks.  

As has been the case since the beginning of the war, Hamas has used the division in Israel to stoke hatred and grief in the country, claiming that the hostages would be alive if Jerusalem had accepted the ceasefire protest in July. 

Aiming to instil more anger within Israeli society, a senior official of the terror group also told AFP that ‘some’ of the six killed had been ‘approved’ for release in a possible exchange.  

Five of the hostages were taken from the music festival where it is estimated that more than 300 young people were brutally murdered by Hamas, while Carmel Gat was captured at Kibbutz Be'eri. 

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of the most well-known hostages due to his parents' tireless work, lost a hand during the 7 October attack after Hamas threw a grenade into the shelter where he was hiding. The terrorist group released a propaganda video of the young Israeli-American in April.  

Eden Yerushalmi was abducted while working as a waitress at the festival. During the attack, Yerushalmi called the police, pleading to be found. Alexander Lobanov, a father of two, also worked at the bar and, according to witnesses, was abducted while trying to evacuate people from the site. The same happened to Ori Danino, a member of an ultra-orthodox family from Jerusalem, who was taken hostage while driving back to help others.   

Almog Sarusis also decided to stay with his girlfriend after she was shot several times and eventually killed. Shortly afterwards he was kidnapped by terrorists and taken to Gaza. 

Carmel Gat, the only one who was not taken hostage at the festival, witnessed her mother being killed by Hamas in her home before being forcibly taken to Gaza along with her brother Alon, sister-in-law Yarden Roman-Gat and niece Geffen. Alon and his three-year-old daughter Geffen managed to escape from their captors on the same 7 October. The hostages who were released in November described her as their ‘guardian angel’, as she taught them meditation and yoga exercises to survive captivity.