Union orders strike in Israel after hostage deaths

The Israeli trade union Histadrut has called for a comprehensive strike starting Monday morning in response to the military finding six slain hostages in the Gaza Strip over the weekend. Histadrut’s chairman, Arnon Bar-David, stated the action is intended to shake the Israeli government, which he accuses of not doing enough to repatriate hostages. From 06:00 Monday, there will be a complete stop to all economic activities, including halts in flights at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport from 07:00. Bar-David criticizes the lack of progress in negotiations for hostages’ release due to ‘political considerations,’ which he finds unacceptable. Histadrut represents nearly 800,000 members in sectors including health and transport. The strike is initially set for Monday only, after a call for a general strike by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, established following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, where 1200 were killed and over 250 were taken hostage.