Israel’s main trade union calls “general strike” Monday to demand release of hostages

The powerful Israeli trade union center, the Histadrut, announced on Sunday, September 1, that it was declaring a “general strike” for Monday. Its aim is to force the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement for the release of the hundred hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

“We must put an end to this abandonment of hostages (…) Tomorrow at 6 a.m. (4 a.m. in Paris), the entire Israeli economy will be on general strike”Histadrut leader Arnon Bar-David said at a press conference on Sunday. “At 8 o’clock the airport will be closed, take-offs and landings will cease”adds a statement from the Histadrut.

The Israeli army’s announcement Sunday of the discovery of the bodies of six new hostages who died in a tunnel in the Gaza Strip has caused shock and anger in Israel. None of these hostages had previously been declared dead. The unprecedented attack carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official data.

“The hostages have been neglected for eleven months”the collective insists. Opposition leader Yair Lapid also called on the Histadrut, municipalities and employers to “general strike” on his Facebook page. “They were alive”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu and his death cabinet have decided not to save them. There are still hostages alive, we can still get an agreement”added Yair Lapid.

“We have to reach an agreement, that’s the most important thing”added Arnon Bar-David, deploring that the situation “is not progressing because of political considerations. And that is unacceptable.” Disruptions have begun in Israel: the Lev cinema chain announced on Sunday that it would close its theaters in “support” to the families of the hostages. Several restaurant chains also announced that they would close their doors on Sunday evening.