Israel advocates for widespread work stoppage following successful hostage rescue operation.
"It's clear that our involvement is necessary to jolt those who need a wake-up call," stated Histadrut chief Arnon Bar David, referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration. He's been criticized for hindering a deal with Islamic Hamas over hostage releases with continuous demands. Starting from Monday at 6 am, "the entire Israeli economy will observe a complete shutdown," announced the union leader.
Beforehand, the family forum of the hostages had already advocated for a nationwide strike and urged unions to join in. This was a push to prompt the government to promptly finalize a hostage release agreement, explained the family forum of the hostages and missing persons. Opposition leader Jair Lapid also echoed these demands.
Defense Minister Joav Gallant also used strong words: The cabinet must "reverse" a decision made on Thursday to retain the Israeli military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, he insisted. This area along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt is a significant focus of negotiations for a ceasefire agreement.
Just over eleven months since the radical Islamic Hamas's attack on Israel, the Israeli army discovered six hostages' bodies in a tunnel in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, on Saturday. "They were viciously murdered by Hamas terrorists right before we reached them," said army spokesman Daniel Hagari.
Five of the hostages were taken by Hamas during the major attack on the Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7. One of the young women now found dead was kidnapped from Kibbutz Beeri.
Among the deceased was also the Israeli-American dual citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The parents of the 23-year-old had recently reminded the Democratic Party convention of their son's plight.
On Sunday, it was reported that Goldberg-Polin's name was on a "Hamas-approved list" of hostages who would be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners during a ceasefire with Israel. According to Israeli media, three of the now-deceased hostages were supposed to be released under an agreement.
The Hamas representative based in Qatar, Issat al-Rischk, meantime accused Israel of killing the six hostages using "air strikes." The Israeli army dismissed these allegations as "psychological warfare."
"Those who kill hostages do not want peace," explained Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu. Turning to Hamas, he warned: "We will track you down, capture you, and settle the score."
Critics accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the conflict in the Gaza Strip for political motives. During a conversation with the parents of deceased Hamas hostage Alexander Lobanov on Sunday, Netanyahu expressed regret for their son's death. "I want to ask for your forgiveness that I was unable to bring Sasha back alive," he said.
In a major offensive on multiple locations in southern Israel on October 7, Hamas fighters reportedly killed 1205 people and took 251 hostages to the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli reports. Over eleven months later, Israeli accounts indicate that 97 hostages remain in Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups' custody, with 33 reportedly dead. In response to the Hamas attack, Israel launched a significant military operation in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas claims, which cannot be independently verified, that over 40,700 people have been killed since October. Mediators from the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have been unsuccessful in brokering an agreement between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire and hostage releases for several months.
The European Union expressed its concerns about the hostage situation and urged the Israeli government to negotiate a peaceful resolution. In light of this ongoing crisis, several European leaders have called for increased international pressure on both Israel and Hamas to ensure the safe return of all hostages.
