Israeli hostage families announce nationwide strike against Gaza war plan

TEL AVIV: Families of Israeli hostages and killed soldiers announced a nationwide strike scheduled for August 17, in protest against the Gaza war and the Israeli government’s latest military strategy, which includes plans to seize Gaza City.

According to the Times of Israel, the protest is being organized by the October 7th Families Forum (also known as the October Council), a group representing those affected by Hamas’s October 7 attack.

The strike has garnered support from key opposition leaders and is intended to pressure the government to reconsider its military approach, which families fear could endanger the lives of remaining hostages and result in further casualties among Israeli forces.

The call to strike follows a decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet on Friday to approve a large-scale operation in Gaza City—a move that has sparked criticism both domestically and abroad.

At a press conference outside the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, where the IDF and Defense Ministry are headquartered, organizers urged businesses, organizations, labor unions, and individuals to take a day off and bring the economy to a standstill.

Read More: Thousands protest in Tel Aviv against Israel’s Gaza take over plan

“Our goal is simple,” they said. “To save the hostages, protect our soldiers, and prevent more families from joining the circle of grief.”

“Silence kills,” they added. “This is the moment to stop everything. On Sunday, we say: enough. Stop the war. Bring them home. The power is in our hands.”

Netanyahu says ‘our goal is not to occupy Gaza’

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that his government had no plans to occupy Gaza.

“Our goal is not to occupy Gaza, but to establish a civilian administration in the Strip that is not affiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority,” the prime minister said at a press conference.

Hamas accuses Netanyahu of ‘series of lies’

Hamas slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for telling a “series of lies” at a press conference Sunday where he laid out his vision for victory in Gaza.

“Netanyahu continues to lie, deceive and try to mislead the public. Everything Netanyahu said in the press conference is a series of lies, and he cannot face the truth; instead, he works on distortion and hiding it,” Taher al-Nunu, the media adviser to the head of Hamas’s political bureau, told AFP.