Israeli protesters took to the streets for a second day yesterday and the largest trade union launched a general strike to press the government to reach a deal to return hostages still held by Hamas, after six more captives were found dead in Gaza.
The strike disrupted transportation and medical services in several Israeli districts, and many shops and businesses were closed after the head of the Histadrut union, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers, called for a general stoppage.
The recovery of the six hostages, who were shot dead between 48 and 72 hours before being found on Sunday by Israeli forces triggered a wave of grief and fury in Israel, prompting at least half a million people to take to the streets in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv that day.
Photo: AFP
The demonstrators were demanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a ceasefire agreement with Palestinian militant group Hamas to bring the remaining hostages home.
Thousands again gathered yesterday in Tel Aviv, waving the Israeli flag or holding photographs of the remaining 101 hostages.
Yehuda Ullmann, head of the surgery division at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, said the strike went against the grain of doctors dedicated to saving patients.
“But we are in a very, very hard situation now, we and all the country, because of the hostages. And yesterday it was maybe the hardest day,” he said. “We can’t stand aside and that’s why we came into a strike.”
Following an intervention by Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Labor Court ruled the general strike must end at 2:30pm, saying the strike had no economic basis and was largely political.
Histadrut accepted the ruling.
“We live in a country of law and respect the court’s decision, therefore I instruct everyone to return to work at 2:30pm,” Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David said, a day after he described the strike as “a cry for the return of the hostages.”
Some services at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main air transport hub, were suspended in the morning, although incoming flights were still landing, while bus and light rail services in many areas were either canceled or only partially functioning.
Workers at Israel’s main commercial port Haifa and some municipalities also went on strike.
Hospitals were only partially operating and banks were not working, but many private sector businesses were open.
The strike was backed by several employer groups, including manufacturers and the high-tech sector, and many employers were allowing staff to join the strike so many services were disrupted.
The demonstrations follow months of protests by families representing some of the hostages and underscore the deep divisions in Israel over Netanyahu’s approach to securing a ceasefire deal.
Despite pressure from his own defense minister, as well as senior generals and intelligence officials, Netanyahu has insisted on maintaining Israeli troops in key points of the Gaza Strip after any ceasefire.
Hamas has rejected any Israeli presence and despite the efforts of Egyptian and Qatari diplomats and repeated visits to the region by senior US officials urging a deal, there has been no sign of a breakthrough in talks to halt the fighting and bring the hostages home.
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