A general strike has disrupted industry, services and education in parts of Israel, as demands mount for the government to accept a ceasefire deal and bring back remaining captives from Gaza.
Monday’s general strike, called by the country’s largest union, Histadrut – the first since the Gaza war began in October – aimed to disrupt sectors of the economy including banking and health, and shut down the country’s main airport and educational institutions.
The move was prompted by the discovery on Sunday of the bodies of six of the approximately 250 captives seized by Hamas on October 7. About 100 of them were released under a truce in November, while several have since died.
Massive rallies were held Sunday to call on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire deal that would allow the remaining prisoners to be repatriated. Israel and Hamas say the other side is blocking any agreement.
US President Joe Biden is reportedly working on what US sources have called a “final” deal, in another apparent effort to increase pressure.
“Moral duty”
Arnon Bar-David, a member of the Histadrut, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers, called for the strike, which was supported by major Israeli manufacturers and contractors in the high-tech sector.
“We have to come to an agreement,” Bar-David said at a news conference Sunday. “We’re getting body bags instead of an agreement.”
Reports suggest that the strike was very effective in some areas of Israel.
Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main air transport hub, was closed from 08:00 (0500 GMT) for a two-hour strike. Israeli media have since reported that workers and civil aviation companies have decided to extend their action.
The Israel Manufacturers Association said it supported the strike and accused the government of failing in its “moral duty” to bring the captives back alive.
Histadrut said banks, shopping malls, government offices and public transportation services had joined the strike. Municipalities in the densely populated city center, including Tel Aviv, also participated in the strike, which led to reduced school hours and the closure of public daycares and kindergartens.
However, many municipalities, including Jerusalem, did not participate.
Meanwhile, the government appears to have obtained a legal order to end the strike, after appealing on the grounds that it was politically motivated.
According to news agencies, the Israeli labor court in Tel Aviv ruled that the strike should end at 2:30 p.m. (23:30 GMT).
N12 media reported that Histadrut Chairman Bar-David had asked workers to return to work following the court order.
Tamer Qarmout, associate professor of public policy at the Doha Institute for Advanced Studies, told Tel Aviv Tribune that the protests and strike could potentially bring the country to a critical turning point if they escalate and threaten Netanyahu’s coalition.
“There is anger, there is frustration and there is also the realization that we are now closer to a year of this war, that the goals that Netanyahu has declared are almost impossible to achieve,” he said.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of some of those held in Gaza, said the deaths of the six were a direct result of Netanyahu’s failure to reach a deal to end the fighting and bring their loved ones home.
Israeli daily Haaretz reported Monday that hundreds of protesters demanding a deal were marching toward the national defense headquarters in Tel Aviv. Demonstrations were also reported in Beersheba in the south and Haifa in the north.
“Take it or leave it”
Following the six deaths – including an Israeli-American citizen – Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are reportedly expected to meet with the negotiating team that, alongside officials from Qatar and Egypt, has been facilitating talks on a ceasefire deal.
Axios reported that White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told families of U.S. citizens detained in Gaza that Biden was preparing a “final proposal” for a ceasefire deal, with Israel and Hamas to be told “to take it or leave it,” according to the Washington Post.
Qarmout said the United States could use the protests and strikes in Israel to try to increase pressure on the Israeli government.
“We are approaching the American elections. If the Americans really want to exert any influence on Netanyahu, this could push him to leave his camp,” he said.
