Families of hostages and bereaved families from the October Council announced at a press conference outside the Kirya in Tel Aviv that “on August 17 we are shutting down the country to save the soldiers and hostages.” According to them, the cabinet’s decision to conquer Gaza endangers the lives of hostages and soldiers. The mother of captured soldier Matan Angerst spoke at the declaration and said that “the heart of the people is with us but it’s not enough.” Lishi Lavi Miran, wife of Omri who is held hostage in Gaza, said: “We chose to stand here together today to call on Israeli citizens to stop the madness and prevent the next disaster. We call on companies and businesses, large committees, organizations and citizens – we must stop.”
