Gaza war: Hundreds of Israeli protesters push for truce deal, block roads in Tel Aviv

Hundreds of Israeli protesters blocked roads in Tel Aviv on Sunday (July 7), pushing for a truce deal in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The protesters demanded that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shouldsecure a hostage deal with Hamas.

A report by the news agency AFP said that the protests began at 6.29 am local time, corresponding to the start of the Hamas' October 7 attacks on southern Israel that set off the conflict.

Flag-wielding demonstrators stopped traffic at an intersection in Tel Aviv, calling for elections and for the government to do more to free the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Security tightened around Netanyahu's house

AFP reported that ahead of the demonstrations on Sunday, security was tightened around Prime Minister Netanyahu'sJerusalem residence. The night before, anti-government demonstrators blocking a highway clashed with police on horseback before authorities deployed water cannons to clear the road.

Small groups of protesters with megaphones and banners also protested outside the houses of a number of ministers and coalition lawmakers.

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At Kibbutz Or Haner near the border with Gaza, they hung a black balloon for every person killed in Hamas' October 7 attack and a yellow balloon for every hostage still held in Gaza.

The protests are expected to intensify.

Israel carries out airstrikes in Gaza

In the latest news from the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli military carried outdeadly air strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.The PalestinianRed Crescent said the bodies of six people including two children were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central city of Deir al-Balah.

Paramedics, meanwhile, said that six people were killedin one strike on a house in Gaza City and three in another elsewhere in Gaza's largest urban area.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.