TEL AVIV, Israel — A rare call for a general strike in Israel to protest the failure to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip led to a number of closures and other disruptions around the country on Monday, including at its main international airport.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets in grief and anger on Sunday night after six of their countrymen taken captive by Hamas were found dead in Gaza.

The families and much of the public blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the hostages could have been returned alive in a deal with the Palestinian militant group to end the nearly 11-month-old war.

But others support Netanyahu's strategy of maintaining relentless military pressure on Hamas, whose Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel triggered the war. They say it would eventually force the militants to give in to Israeli demands, potentially lead to more successful rescues and ultimately annihilate the group.

Israel's largest trade union, the Histadrut, called for a general strike for Monday, the first since the start of the war. It aims to shut down or disrupt major sectors of the economy, including banking, health care and the country's Ben-Gurion International Airport.

Airlines at Ben-Gurion were halting outgoing flights between 8 and 10 a.m. Those flights either departed early or were slightly delayed, and travelers were seen lining up at check-in counters despite the limited disruption. Arriving flights were continuing as usual during that time, the Israel Airports Authority said.

Banks, some large malls and government offices were all closed due to the strike, and public transit was limited. Municipalities in Israel's populated central area, including the western city of Tel Aviv, were participating in the strike, leading to shortened school hours and cancellations for public day care centers and kindergartens.

Many municipalities, however, including Jerusalem, were not participating in the strike. Israeli media reported that the state appealed to a labor court to cancel the strike, saying it was politically motivated.

'Largest' demos

Sunday's demonstrations appeared to be the largest since the war started, with organizers estimating that up to 500,000 people joined nationwide events and the main rally in Tel Aviv. Israeli media estimated that 200,000 to 400,000 took part.

They are demanding that Netanyahu reach a deal to return the remaining roughly 100 hostages held in Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead, even if it means leaving a battered Hamas intact and withdrawing from the territory. Many Israelis support this position, but others prioritize the destruction of the militant group over the hostages' freedom.

Netanyahu has pledged "total victory" over Hamas and blames it for the failure of the negotiations, which have dragged on for much of this year.

Israel said Hamas killed all six hostages shortly before Israeli forces arrived in the tunnel where they were being held. Three of them, including an Israeli-American, were reportedly scheduled to be released in the first phase of a ceasefire proposal discussed in July. The Israeli Health Ministry said autopsies had determined the hostages were shot at close range and died on Thursday or Friday.

Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the deaths, saying "whoever murders hostages doesn't want a deal."

Hamas blamed their deaths on Israel and the United States, accusing them of dragging out the talks by issuing new demands, including for lasting Israeli control over two strategic corridors in Gaza. The group has offered to release the hostages in return for an end to the war, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants.

One of the six hostages was Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, a native of Berkeley, California, who lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the attack. In April, Hamas issued a video that showed him alive, sparking protests in Israel.

He was one of the best-known hostages, and his parents had led a high-profile campaign for the captives' release, meeting with US President Joe Biden, Pope Francis, and addressing the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last month.

Biden on Sunday said he was "devastated and outraged." The White House said he spoke with Goldberg-Polin's parents and offered condolences.

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