Demonstrators took to the streets across Israel on Sunday, calling for an end to the war in Gaza and a deal to release hostages still held by Hamas, as the military prepares a new invasion.
The protests come more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to invade Gaza City, following 22 months of war that have created dire humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory.
Forty-nine captives remain in Gaza, including 27, the Israeli military says, who are dead.
A huge Israeli flag covered with portraits of the remaining captives was unfurled in Tel Aviv's so-called Hostage Square — which has long been a focal point for protests throughout the war.
Demonstrators also blocked several roads in the city, including the highway connecting Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem, where demonstrators set tires on fire and caused traffic jams, according to local media footage.
Businesses are shut
Protest organisers and the main campaign group representing the families of hostages also called for a general strike on Sunday, the first day of the week in Israel.
In West Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv, many businesses were shut.
"I think it's time to end the war. It's time to release all of the hostages. And it's time to help Israel recover and move towards a more stable Middle East," said Doron Wilfand, a 54-year-old tour guide, at a rally in Jerusalem.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group said in a statement that protesters would "shut down the country today (Sunday) with one clear call: Bring back the 50 hostages, end the war".
Their toll includes a soldier killed in a 2014 war whose remains are held by Hamas.
The forum plans to set up a protest tent near the Gaza border, vowing to "escalate our struggle and do everything possible to bring back our beloved ones".
"If we don't bring them back now, we will lose them forever."
