Protests and strikes have been held in Israel with citizens demanding the government strike a deal with Hamas to release hostages.

Footage from September 1 shows protesters in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, Israel - September 01, 2024

Storyline:
Israeli citizens on Sunday held rallies to criticize the Israeli government for failing to secure the safe release the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, demanding the government to take immediate action to reach agreements with Hamas on a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a press briefing on Sunday that its forces on Saturday recovered the bodies of six hostages in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area, southern Gaza.

Following the news, flocks of Israeli citizens in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Ashkelon and West Jerusalem took to the streets to voice their dissatisfaction with the government for failing to rescue the hostages.

Holding up banners and photos of hostages and chanting slogans, protesters in front of the Israeli Parliament building in West Jerusalem demanded the Israeli government to take action and reach agreements with Hamas.

The latest round of ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip, which resumed in mid-August, has once again reached a deadlock. Many protesters believe these are intentional obstructions by certain people, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who are preventing the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement.

Despite the uncertainities, protesters still hope there will be progress in the ceasefire negotiations.

Shotlist:
Jerusalem - Sept 1, 2024:
1. National flag of Israel;
2. Protest in progress;
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sharon (full name not given), protester:
"We are here to protest against that and to make our government make the right decision, stop the war, do whatever is needed to do to bring the rest of the hostages that are still alive, to bring them alive."
4. Various of protest in progress;
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Zvi (full name not given), protester:
"Today, we're here in this protest to demand freeing of the hostages that are in Gaza, but it's not only today, it's more than 300 days that we are protesting."
6. Various of security officers;
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Bruno (full name not given), protester:
"I don't know whether this is the last chance, but this is definitely a chance. We need to give that chance to conclude. And so, [we] really hope that the negotiation would be back and will be finalized. We need to do everything possible to finalize the negotiations."
8. Protest in progress;
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sharon (full name not given), protester (partially overlaid with shot 10):
"We hope that there are still negotiations going on. We are afraid that Netanyahu doesn't really want to make the negotiations. He finds the way to always [block the negotiations] at the last moment. I also think that the Gaza people are suffering as well. I think that war is not a way to bring anything good to us. A negotiation should be done, a deal must be done."
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10. Protest in progress;
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11. Protest in progress.

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