JERUSALEM — Protests gripped Israel on Sept 1 following the death of six hostages in Gaza as frustration mounted with the country's leadership for failing to secure a ceasefire deal that would free Israeli captives.

Crowds estimated by Israeli media to number up to 500,000 demonstrated in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other cities, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu do more to bring home the remaining 101 hostages. Israel estimates about a third of them are dead. Labour leaders urged workers to stage a one-day general strike on Sept 2.

The Israeli military announced the recovery of the bodies from a tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, as a polio vaccination campaign began in the war-shattered Palestinian territory and violence flared in the occupied West Bank.

The bodies of hostages Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino have been returned to Israel, military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters.

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