General strike in Israel over hostage-taking leads to uneven closures and reflects political division

A rare call for a general strike in Israel to protest the failure to return hostages held in Gaza led to lockdowns and other disruptions across the country on Monday, including at the main international airport. But the call was ignored in some areas, reflecting deep political divisions.

Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets late Sunday night in grief and anger after six hostages were found dead in Gaza. Families and much of the public blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the hostages and said they could have been returned alive under an agreement with Hamas to end the nearly 11-month war.

Others, however, support Netanyahu's strategy of relentlessly maintaining military pressure on Hamas, whose Oct. 7 attack on Israel sparked the war. They say this will eventually force the militants to give in to Israeli demands, potentially leading to more successful rescue operations and ultimately destroying the group.

Israel's largest union, the Histadrut, has called for the first general strike since the war began on Monday. The aim is to close or disrupt important economic sectors, including the banking and health care sectors, as well as the country's main airport.

Airlines at Israel's main international airport, Ben-Gurion, suspended outbound flights between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. These flights either departed earlier or were slightly delayed, and travelers queued at check-in counters despite the minor disruption. Inbound flights continued as usual during this time, according to the Israel Airports Authority.

The strike left banks, some major shopping malls and government offices closed, and public transportation was limited. Municipalities in Israel's densely populated center, including Tel Aviv, joined the strike, resulting in shortened school hours and closures of public daycare centers and kindergartens.

However, many municipalities, including Jerusalem, did not participate in the strike. Israeli media reported that the state had appealed to a labor court to call off the strike, alleging it was politically motivated.

Sunday's demonstrations appeared to be the largest since the war began, with organizers estimating that up to 500,000 people took part in the nationwide events and the main rally in Tel Aviv.

They demand that Netanyahu reach a deal to return the remaining 100 or so hostages in Gaza, a third of whom are believed dead, even if that means leaving the battered Hamas intact and withdrawing from the area. Many Israelis support that position, but others prioritize the destruction of the armed group over the release of the hostages.

Netanyahu has promised a “total victory” over Hamas and blames it for the failure of negotiations that have dragged on for much of the year.

Israel said Hamas killed all six hostages shortly before Israeli troops arrived at the tunnel where they were being held. Three of them, including an Israeli-American citizen, were reportedly due to be released in the first phase of a ceasefire proposal discussed in July. Israel's Health Ministry said autopsies showed the hostages were shot at close range and died on Thursday or Friday.

Netanyahu blamed Hamas and said: “Those who murder hostages do not want a deal.”

Hamas blamed Israel and the United States for the hostages and accused them of dragging out the talks with new demands, including permanent Israeli control over two strategic corridors in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has offered to release the hostages if the war ends, Israeli forces are completely withdrawn and a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-ranking militants, are released.

One of the six hostages was 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin from Berkeley, California, who lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the attack. In April, Hamas released a video showing him alive, sparking protests in Israel.

He was one of the most high-profile hostages, and his parents had led a high-profile campaign for the prisoners' release, meeting with President Joe Biden and Pope Francis and speaking at the Democratic National Convention last month.

Biden said on Sunday that he was “devastated and outraged.” The White House said he had spoken to Goldberg-Polin's parents and expressed their condolences.

On October 7, around 250 hostages were taken. Israel believes there are about 100 hostages still in captivity, including 35 who are presumed dead. More than 100 were released during a ceasefire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians held captive in Israel. Eight were rescued by Israeli forces. Israeli troops mistakenly killed three Israelis who escaped from captivity in December.

When Hamas-led fighters invaded southern Israel on October 7, they killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. According to local health authorities, more than 40,000 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli retaliatory offensive in the Gaza Strip. They declined to provide information on the number of fighters.

The war has forced the vast majority of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants to flee, often multiple times, and plunged the besieged territory into a humanitarian catastrophe.