Huge protests in Israel calling for hostage deal and end to Gaza war

Let's begin in the Middle East. Large crowds have gathered in Israel calling for an end to the Gaza war. Tell us more.

That's right. Tel Aviv's Hostage Square was filled with hundreds of thousands of people on Sunday demanding an end to the Gaza war and a deal to bring home the remaining hostages.

On the same day, a nationwide strike swept the country, bringing much of Israel to a standstill.

In one of the largest protests since the conflict began, approximately 500,000 people reportedly participated in the Tel Aviv demonstration alone, with other protests around Israel bringing the nationwide total to an estimated one million people.

The protests were organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, and included a one-day national strike on Sunday morning.

This strike involved blocking roads and halting work nationwide.

Israeli police made dozens of arrests during the day.

The protests coincided with the Israeli military's finalization of plans for a major ground operation aimed at capturing Gaza City.

Despite the growing public pressure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the protests and defended the ongoing military offensive.