We get body bags instead of an agreement. I have come to the conclusion that only our intervention can influence those who need to be influenced, says Arnon Bar-David, chairman of Israel's largest workers' organization Histadrut, according to Times of Israel.
From 6 am on Monday morning, "the entire labor market" will go on strike, he says.
Histadrut, a counterpart to the Swedish LO, gathers around 800,000 employees in fields such as healthcare, transportation, and banking.
The Airport Closes
The strike is announced for one day and will also affect Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, which will suspend all operations from 8 am in the morning, reports Haaretz.
Large parts of Israel are outraged over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government's policy regarding the Gaza War, after six people taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 were found dead in Gaza.
In Tel Aviv, tens of thousands of people have gathered in a demonstration to demand that all hostages be brought home immediately. A highway is blocked by the large crowds, according to Haaretz.
We believe that the government makes decisions for its own survival, and not to save the hostages' lives, and we must tell them to stop, says Tel Aviv resident Shlomit Hacohen to AP.
Many believe that their lives could have been saved if Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement on the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza. Critics accuse the Prime Minister of dragging out the negotiations.
Municipalities Call for Protest
Netanyahu promises that those who killed the hostages will be punished, but he also says that it shows that Hamas does not want to negotiate.
"Those who murder hostages do not want a settlement", he says according to a press release.
The Tel Aviv municipality writes on Facebook that parts of the municipality's operations will shut down during Monday morning, in solidarity with the kidnapped and their families, so that employees can go out and "support the families' struggle". The municipalities of Kfar Saba and Givatayim also issue similar statements, according to Times of Israel.
Restaurants have also closed down during Sunday evening. "Do not let the hostages' families stand alone", writes an association of Israeli restaurateurs in a statement.
