Israel mourns slain hostages, protests Netanyahu

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets to demand a Gaza hostage release

Israel protests
The protestors blame Netanyahu for stalling a hostage deal
(Image credit: Mostafa Alkharouf / Anadolu via Getty Images)

What happened

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets over the last two days to demand a deal to release hostages held in Gaza and mourn the six Israelis found dead in a Hamas tunnel over the weekend. Israel said the six hostages were shot at close range last week, shortly before Israeli troops reached the tunnel. The protesters blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for stalling a hostage deal. Israel's largest labor union also held a truncated general strike yesterday. 

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.