First of all, I strongly suspect their expectations are grossly exaggerated. But then I have to wonder, of those that show up today, how many are there to support the hostages versus those whose primary goal is the forlorn hope to drive out Bibi Netanyahu’s government and replace it with their beloved Labour Socialists, whose path back to power has otherwise completely disappeared?
A nationwide general strike got underway on Sunday morning, as families of the hostages protested the government’s decision to expand the war in Gazoo...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about
oppressionand
disproportionate response...
with a campaign to conquer Gaza City, rather than sign a deal to return their loved ones.
The strike was organized by the October Council, which represents some of the family members of the hostages or bereaved relatives of those killed in the fighting that erupted with the Hamas
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...-led massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, as well as the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
The forum said on Saturday night that it was preparing for nearly one million people to pass through Hostages Square in Tel Aviv throughout the day, and for tens of thousands to join activities at hundreds of other sites across Israel.
The action began at 6:29 a.m. — the exact time of day that the Hamas attack erupted on October 7, 2023 — with a series of protests at junctions and intersections across the country.
Protesters will be standing at the intersections handing out yellow ribbons, the symbol that represents the hostages, to passersby, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.
The forum published a map highlighting the locations at which early-morning protests were planned.
The main events of the day got underway at 7 a.m., when the October Council will deliver a statement to the press from Sarona Market in Tel Aviv, across the street from the Kirya military headquarters.
Then, at 9 a.m., a special photography exhibition will open at Hostages Square for the public to view throughout the day, until 6 p.m.
The main stage at Hostages Square will also feature speeches from relatives of the hostages at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m., the forum said.
Solidarity marches representing specific industries will be held in Tel Aviv throughout the day, including a doctors’ march at 9 a.m., and a students’ march at 5 p.m.
The students’ march will be followed by a statement to the press from senior academics.
Various businesses and organizations participating in the strike will have representatives present at vigils in Hostages Square throughout the day, rotating on an hourly basis, the forum said.
Then at 6 p.m., a prayer service will be held at Hostages Square before protesters march with hostages’ families from Tel Aviv—Savidor Center railway station to Hostages Square for a main rally at 8 p.m.
Convoys of cars will set out from across Israel at 4 p.m. to converge in Tel Aviv for the evening rally.
A host of events and protests have been planned for areas outside of Tel Aviv as well, including a protest convoy in the Western Galilee, in northern Israel, and a protest outside the Mall Hayam shopping mall in Eilat, all the way in the south of Israel.
Some local councils have also organized their own events in solidarity with the families of the hostages, including the Haifa Municipality, which, together with the families of hostages, will hold a rally at 10 a.m.
Meanwhile,
...back at the game, the Babe headed for second base. He almost made it. Then Sheila slapped him....
a number of events were also planned in the communities close to the Gaza border that bore the brunt of Hamas’s deadly invasion.
Several convoys of tractors are expected to make their way along Route 232, the vital southern road-turned-killing field where, on October 7, Hamas Lions of Islam bumped off civilians trying to flee the attack.
The local Sha’ar HaNegev and Eshkol regional councils will be on strike all of Sunday, and groups in the border town of Sderot and nearby Ofakim will hold their own demonstrations as well.
In the days leading up to the strike, hundreds of local authorities, businesses, universities, tech companies and other organizations announced that they would join the strike or allow employees to join if they wished to.
Although the Histadrut, Israel’s main labor union, announced that it would not join the strike, it said it would nevertheless support workers planning to participate in protest rallies on Sunday.
The decision by the labor union not to participate followed a meeting between Histadrut chair Arnon Bar-David, senior representatives of the business sector, and representatives of the families of hostages organizing the strike.
He explained to the families that he was concerned that the involvement of the powerful union would divert public discourse around the return of the hostages into politics.
"If I knew that a strike — not just for one day but longer — would end the matter, stop the war and bring back the hostages, I would go for it with full force," Bar-David said. "Unfortunately, and although my heart is bursting with anger, it has no practical outcome."
Unions and organizations that announced plans to back the strike or support employees who wished to protest included the Forum of Cultural and Art Institutions, the Israel Airports Authority employees union, and the Israel Bar Association.
An anti-government protest group representing dozens of the country’s largest tech companies, collectively employing tens of thousands of workers, also announced last week that it would join the strike. Among the tech companies are Wix, Fiverr, Meta, Papaya Global, HoneyBook, Natural Intelligence, and Fireblocks. The group also includes venture capital funds such as Qumra Capital, Pitango, Disruptive, and NFX.
Major highways blocked by protesters amid nationwide strike for hostages
Protesters are blocking some major roads in central Israel as part of a national strike for the release of the hostages and against the expansion of the war in Gaza.
Roads obstructed during Israelis’ morning commute, the first day of the workweek, include Route 1 from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and Route 4 at Raanana Junction.
Routes 65, 75 and 89 in northern Israel are also blocked, according to the Hebrew outlet Ynet, as are Routes 443, 40 and 44 in central Israel.
Route 1 is blocked in both directions, with demonstrators lighting bonfires on the lanes.
Blocking roads has been a frequent tactic of protesters in recent years.
מפגינים הבעירו צמיגים בכביש 1, החסום לתנועה כבר יותר מחצי שעה@VeredPelman
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 17, 2025
(צילום: זכריה מנצור Zachary Manzur) https://t.co/YS9lQWfJ5x pic.twitter.com/lmHg214P9i