A general strike has disrupted industry, services and education in several parts of Israel, as demands mount for the government to agree to a ceasefire deal and repatriate remaining captives in Gaza.
Monday's general strike, called by the country's largest trade union, Histadrut (the first since the start of the Gaza war in October), was aimed at disrupting sectors of the economy including banking and healthcare, and shutting down the country's main airport and educational institutions.
The action was prompted by the discovery on Sunday of the bodies of six of the roughly 250 captives taken by Hamas on Oct. 7. About 100 were released under a truce in November, while several have since died.
Massive protests were held on Sunday calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to broker a ceasefire deal that would allow the hostages to return. Both Israel and Hamas say the other side is blocking a deal.
US President Joe Biden is reportedly working on what US sources have called a “final” deal proposal, in another apparent effort to increase pressure.
'Moral duty'
Arnon Bar-David of the Histadrut, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers, called for the strike, which was supported by Israel's leading manufacturers and businessmen in the high-tech sector.
“We must reach an agreement,” Bar-David said at a news conference on Sunday. “Instead of an agreement, they are giving us body bags.”
Reports suggest the strike was very effective in some parts of Israel.
Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main air transport hub, was closed at 8:00 a.m. (05:00 GMT) for a two-hour strike. Israeli media later reported that workers and civil aviation companies decided to prolong the strike.
The Israel Manufacturers Association said it supported the strike and accused the government of failing in its “moral duty” to return the captives alive.
According to the Histadrut, banks, shopping malls, government offices and public transport services joined the strike. Municipalities in the densely populated central area, including Tel Aviv, also took part, leading to the reduction of school hours and the cancellation of public nurseries and kindergartens.
However, many municipalities, including Jerusalem, did not participate.
Meanwhile, the government appears to have secured a legal order to stop the strike, after appealing on the grounds that it was politically motivated.
According to news agencies, the Israeli Labor Court in Tel Aviv has ruled that the strike must end at 2:30 p.m. (11:30 GMT).
The N12 outlet reported that Histadrut chairman Bar-David had ordered workers to return to work following the court order.
Tamer Qarmout, an associate professor of public policy at the Doha Institute of Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera that the protests and strike could have the potential to bring the country to a critical crossroads, if they grow in number and threaten Netanyahu's coalition.
“There is anger, there is frustration and there is also the realization that we are now closer to a year into this war, that the goals that Netanyahu has stated are almost impossible to achieve,” he said.
The Missing Hostages and Families Forum, which represents the families of some of those held in Gaza, said the deaths of the six were a direct result of Netanyahu's failure to reach a deal to stop the fighting and bring their loved ones home.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Monday that hundreds of protesters calling for a deal were marching towards the national defence headquarters in Tel Aviv. Protests were also reported in Beersheba in the south and Haifa in the north.
'Take it or leave it'
Following the six deaths, which included an Israeli-American citizen, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with the negotiating team that, along with officials from Qatar and Egypt, has been moderating talks on a ceasefire deal, reports said.
News outlet Axios reported that White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan had told families of US citizens detained in Gaza that Biden is preparing a “final proposal” for a ceasefire deal, and that Israel and Hamas would be told to “take it or leave it,” according to The Washington Post.
Qarmout said the United States could use the protests and the attack in Israel to try to increase pressure on the Israeli government.
“We are approaching the US elections. If the Americans really want to exert some influence on Netanyahu, this could boost [him] out of their corner,” he said.
