Strike bid to end Hamas war

HUNDREDS of thousands of Israelis joined a general strike yesterday to try to force an end to the bloody war with Hamas.

- Mark Reynolds

Protests paralysed the nation after the recovery of six more Israeli hostages' bodies at the weekend.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid and the country's major trade union called the national strike to intensify pressure on the government to reach a deal with Hamas to release the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Demonstrators shouted "Murderer!" outside PM Benjamin Netanyahu's office amid claims he did not want a deal while huge crowds also thronged around the Defence Ministry. Speaking to reporters at the White House yesterday, Joe Biden said he believed a deal was "very close".

But, asked whether he thought Mr Netanyahu was doing enough to get one, the US President replied: "No".

Last night Israel's PM defied critics in his first address since the protests erupted.