Nationwide strike called amid push by Israeli government to fully occupy Gaza Strip
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Thousands of Israelis staged a nationwide strike on Sunday, blocking highways in multiple cities to pressure the Benjamin Netanyahu government to reach a prisoner swap deal with Palestinians and end its ongoing war in Gaza.
The general strike was called by families of Israeli captives held in Gaza, who fear that last week’s decision by the Israeli government to fully occupy Gaza would endanger the lives of their beloved ones.
Demonstrators attempted to block streets, tunnels, and bridges in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, prompting authorities to use water cannons to disperse them. Protesters also set tires on fire, leading to widespread traffic disruption.
Hundreds of private companies, municipalities, and organizations joined the action, while public broadcaster KAN said thousands of demonstrators shut down major roads, leading to traffic gridlock and suspension of train services.
Restaurants and cafes also closed, while Haaretz reported that dozens of Israeli artists, celebrities, and athletes voiced support and joined the strike.
Major unions, including lawyers, doctors, and the business forum, as well as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, also confirmed their participation in the strike.
Israeli police said 32 demonstrators were arrested across the country during the strike, according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
Shutdown
Opposition leader Yair Lapid visited Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to participate in the strike.
“We are shutting down the country today. Because our hostages are not pawns that the government is allowed to sacrifice for the sake of the war effort, they are citizens that the government must return to their families,” Lapid told protesters in a video posted on US social media company X.
“They won’t stop us, they won’t tire us, they won’t exhaust us. We’ll continue to fight until the hostages return home, there’s a deal, the war ends,” he added.
National Unity leader Benny Gantz also voiced support for protesters, demanding that the government not attack the families of the hostages.
Far-right members of the Israeli government denounced the strike, with far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich accusing organizers of “emotional manipulation benefiting Hamas.”
“As it looks right now, despite a crazy buildup by irresponsible media and a series of self-interested political actors, the campaign is not gaining traction and involves very few people,” he claimed.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on X that the demonstrators are “the same people who weakened Israel then (referring to Oct.7) and are trying to do so again today.”
“This strike strengthens Hamas and delays the return of the hostages. Of course, they will later blame the Israeli government. This is what a cynical political maneuver on the backs of the hostages looks like,” he claimed.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev also said the strike “divides and turns solidarity for the hostages into a political campaign.”
On Aug. 8, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved Netanyahu’s plan to occupy Gaza City fully, drawing sharp international backlash from many countries and human rights bodies.
The Israeli premier claimed that his plan aims to disarm Hamas, free all Israeli hostages, demilitarize Gaza, override Israeli security control, and establish a non-Israeli civil administration.
According to Israeli estimates, around 50 captives remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive, while Israel holds more than 10,800 Palestinians in its prisons under dire conditions, with rights groups reporting deaths due to torture, hunger, and medical neglect.
Israel has killed more than 61,900 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. — AA
