Massive protests broke out in Israel over the weekend amid outrage over the news that the bodies of six hostages were discovered in Gaza on Saturday.
The Israeli people are demanding a ceasefire.
"I think we're seeing the country of Israel and its citizens that are absolutely going through anguish and pain right now," Michael Hoffman, the CEO and president of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, said.
The Israeli military recovered the bodies of the hostages from a tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Hoffman said the deaths fuel Jewish outrage worldwide.
"When you have six hostages brutally murdered just a few days ago, it's so painful because everybody knows somebody," Hoffman said. "We're all trying to support our brothers and sisters in Israel, sending as much love and support and expressions of solidarity as possible."
With no ceasefire months after the conflict began last fall, hundreds of thousands of protesters reportedly took to the streets again Monday. Many of them walked off the job in protest.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to that question on Monday.
"I told the families, and I repeat and say this evening, I'm asking for your forgiveness," Netanyahu said. "We weren't able to bring them back alive. We were very close, but we couldn't make it."
Dr. Robert Lloyd at Palm Beach Atlantic University said the killing of six hostages by Hamas brought everything to a head in Israel.
"Within Israel, there's been differences of opinion — very strong — over how exactly the fate of the hostages should be addressed, particularly with respect to a ceasefire or whether or not Hamas should be removed from power," Lloyd said.
Hoffman said regardless of who is the leader of Israel, something has to be done to safely bring the dozens of remaining hostages home to their families.
"We're all standing in strong solidarity with the people of Israel," Lloyd said.
