General strike in Israel over hostage crisis reflects political divide – The Irish News

A rare call for a general strike in Israel to protest the government's refusal to release hostages held in the Gaza Strip has sparked closures and other disruptions across the country, including at the main international airport.

In some areas, however, the call was ignored, reflecting the country's deep political divisions.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets late Sunday to express their grief and anger after six hostages were found dead in Gaza.

The families and much of the public blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they could have been brought back alive under an agreement with Hamas to end the nearly 11-month war.

Others support Netanyahu's strategy of relentlessly maintaining military pressure on Hamas, whose attack on Israel on October 7 sparked the war.

They say this will ultimately force the militants to give in to Israeli demands, potentially leading to more successful rescue operations and ultimately the group's destruction.

A labour court ruled that the strike must end by 2:30 p.m. local time, granting a government petition that the strike was politically motivated.

Israel's largest union, the Histadrut, called for a general strike on Monday, the first since the war began.

The aim is to close or disrupt important economic sectors, including the banking and health sectors as well as the country's main airport.

Airlines at Israel's main international airport, Ben-Gurion, suspended outgoing flights between 8 and 10 a.m. local time (6 and 8 a.m. BST).

These flights either departed earlier or were slightly delayed, and travelers queued at check-in counters despite the minor disruptions. Incoming flights continued as usual during this time, according to the Israel Airports Authority.

Because of the strike, banks, some large shopping centers and government offices were closed and public transport was restricted.

Communities in central Israel, including Tel Aviv, participated in the strike, which resulted in shortened school hours and school closures in 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. Organizers estimated that up to 500,000 people took part in nationwide events and the main rally in Tel Aviv. Israeli media estimated that between 200,000 and 400,000 people attended.

They are demanding that Netanyahu reach an agreement to release the remaining 100 or so hostages in the Gaza Strip – a third of whom are said to already be dead – even if this means leaving the battered Hamas intact and withdrawing from the area.

Many Israelis support this position, but for others the destruction of the militant group is more important than the release of the hostages.

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

Israel said Hamas killed all six hostages shortly before Israeli forces arrived at the tunnel where they were being held.

Three of them, including an Israeli-American citizen, were reportedly to be released in the first phase of a ceasefire proposal discussed in July. Israel's Health Ministry said autopsy examinations 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 deaths and accused them of dragging out the talks with new demands, including permanent Israeli control over two strategic corridors in the Gaza Strip.

The group has offered the release of the hostages in exchange for an end to the war, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-ranking militants.

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 U.S. President Joe Biden and Pope Francis and speaking at the Democratic National Convention last month.

Mr Biden said he was “devastated and outraged” by the killings. The White House said he had spoken to Mr Goldberg-Polin's parents and expressed their condolences.

On October 7, around 250 hostages were taken. Israel currently believes that around 100 hostages remain 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 imprisoned in Israel.

Eight were rescued by Israeli forces. Israeli troops mistakenly killed three Israelis who escaped from captivity in December.

When Hamas-led militants entered 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 Israel's retaliatory offensive in the Gaza Strip. They did not provide any 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.