Tel Aviv labour court on Monday ordered to end of the general strikes demanding the Netanyahu-led government to agree a truce deal to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. The court passed the order while considering a petition from the state.
The court in its order told the protesters to end the strike by 14:30 local time, hours earlier than the initial time planned by the organisers.
After the recent recovery of six hostages from Gaza, thousands of people rallied across Israel on Sunday demanding the government to step up the actions securing their release.
#BREAKING #Israel: 🔊 Tel Aviv main road blocked by protesters 🪧 #NOW, during ongoing nationwide general strike against the #Netanyahu regime, who have to resign due to the failures of not getting hostages out of Gaza. pic.twitter.com/NGfBTiYpVk
— Asgard Intel WW3.INFO (@AsgardIntel) September 2, 2024
“It is too late for my cousins but there is still hope for at least some of them. Israeli government’s decision to delay the deal kept the hostages in captivity...I was devastated when I found out of her death,” said a relative of a hostage.
Israel is organizing a general strike and mass protests calling for the resignation of Trump / Putin ally Benjamin Netanyahu whose actions have led to hostages being killed, Hamas being empowered, a failed response to terrorist acts on Oct 7, and over 40,000 dead in Gaza. https://t.co/GPRwRKCJ3o pic.twitter.com/pKdIJ93wJd
— Anonymous (@YourAnonCentral) September 2, 2024
"All six of them were held together and all six of them were killed in captivity. We could have saved all of them," he added.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum had announced several protests scheduled to take place across Israel at 7 pm on Monday.
"A large-scale demonstration" is scheduled to take place outside the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem, a massive "rally" at Begin Gate in Tel Aviv and a protest in front of the PM's house in Caesarea, it said.
Meanwhile, Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcomed the court order. Taking to X, Smotrich said that the court agreed the strike was "political and illegal".
The general strike had hit almost all sectors including banks, businesses, schools and transport. Roads were blocked and flights were disrupted as well. Many hospitals are operating reduced services due to the strike.
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Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said that the country will "respond with full force" following the recovery of the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In a post on X, Katz blames Hamas for their deaths, saying they were "brutally executed... to instil fear and attempt to fracture Israeli society".