Israel Grinds to a Halt: General Strike Protests Netanyahu’s Handling of Hostage Crisis

A general strike brought much of Israel to a standstill on Monday, reflecting escalating public anger over the Netanyahu government’s failure to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. The strike follows the deaths of six captives in Gaza over the weekend, marking one of the most significant expressions of public discontent since Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2022.

The strike, which is the first widespread industrial action since the start of the Gaza war, saw the closure of Ben Gurion International Airport, universities, shopping malls, and many government offices. Schools operated for only a few hours in the morning. However, the strike’s impact varied across the country, with Jerusalem and other pro-government municipalities remaining open, while cities like Tel Aviv shut down in protest. Public transportation continued to run despite strong pressure from labor unions.

A court injunction, issued at the government’s request, ordered the strike to end by early afternoon, classifying it as a political action. The strike was preceded by mass demonstrations in Tel Aviv and other cities, the largest since the war began. Public anger surged on Sunday after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages seized by Hamas during their assault last year.

Histadrut, Israel’s largest trade union federation, called for the strike on Sunday, urging Netanyahu’s government to negotiate a deal for the return of the remaining 101 hostages. Arnon Bar-David, the Histadrut chief, accused Netanyahu of attempting to sabotage any potential agreement to maintain his governing coalition. It’s inconceivable that our children will die in tunnels due to political interests and calculations,” Bar-David stated at a Tel Aviv demonstration.

By midday Monday, thousands of Israelis had taken to the streets, blocking main highways, with larger protests planned for the evening. The bodies of the six hostages, including Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and four others kidnapped from the Nova music festival, were found in a tunnel in Rafah. The IDF’s initial assessment indicated that they were “cruelly murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them.” An Israeli pathological investigation confirmed that all six had been shot at close range over the past several days.

Hamas suggested in a statement that the group had died in an Israeli air strike, a claim the IDF dismissed as “psychological warfare.” The announcement of the hostages’ deaths sparked widespread condemnation of Netanyahu for not concluding a ceasefire deal with the Palestinian militant group. Israeli intelligence believes at least 35 of the hostages are no longer alive.

The US, Qatar, and Egypt have been mediating between the warring parties for months, aiming to secure a deal that would halt the fighting in Gaza and ensure the release of the hostages. Protesters in Tel Aviv chanted, “All of them, now,” demanding that Netanyahu accept a deal to end the war.

Netanyahu has rejected calls to end the conflict, citing threats from far-right ministers to topple his government if a deal is concluded. On Monday, at a small counter-protest against the general strike outside the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem, national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned Netanyahu against negotiating with Hamas. “With Hamas there is only one dialogue — through the gun sight,” Ben-Gvir stated.