Protests have erupted across Israel, accompanied by a general strike, after the recovery of six bodies of captives held by Hamas and other Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war on October 7.

Despite Israel’s military saying the captives were killed by Hamas shortly before Israeli soldiers reached them, the outpouring of public anger has focused squarely on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet’s repeated failures to finalise a ceasefire that might see the captives return home.On Sunday evening, about 300,000 people took to the streets, closing down roads and demanding the government change its course of action to save the remaining captives still in Gaza, who are estimated to number 100.

And on Monday, Histadrut, Israel’s largest trade union — it represents about 800,000 workers — called a one-day general strike. It was backed by Israel’s main manufacturers and entrepreneurs in the high-tech sector. As a result, large parts of Israel’s economy were shut down for several hours before a labour court ordered protesters to return to work at 2:30pm (11:30 GMT).