Israel general strike underway to pressure Netanyahu to secure return of hostages in Gaza

(CNN) — A general strike threatened to bring Israel to a halt on Monday, after the killing of six captives in Gaza sparked an outburst of public fury at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to secure a ceasefire-for-hostages deal.

The country’s largest labor union, known as Histadrut, threatened to shut down the “entire” economy, with its chairman Arnon Bar-David warning on Sunday that Israel was “in a downward spiral, and we don’t stop receiving body bags.”

Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport halted departures and arrivals of flights for just over two hours starting at 8 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET), though flights later resumed.

The general strike is the largest in Israel since March 2023, when a similar mass walkout over Netanyahu’s controversial attempts to overhaul the country’s judiciary brought much of the economy to a standstill.

This round of strikes was set to run from Monday morning until the early evening. It reflects growing anger toward Netanyahu, who has been accused by critics of stalling efforts for a deal by some hostage families and their supporters.

More than 100 hostages, including 35 believed to be dead, are still being held in Gaza. The vast majority of those hostages were taken during Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, when some 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken captive.

Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in multiple cities on Sunday in one of the biggest nationwide protests since the outbreak of Israel’s war on Hamas.

Supporters have vowed a national response, and some protesters returned to the streets in various locations across Israel Monday morning, including by blocking a major avenue in Tel Aviv.

Three of the six hostages found dead, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, had been expected to be released in an eventual ceasefire, Israeli officials told CNN. Autopsies showed they were shot at short range on Thursday or Friday morning. Israeli forces announced the recovery of their bodies from an underground tunnel in Rafah on Saturday.

The discovery of the six hostage bodies has thrown negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage deal into question.

In Jerusalem, protesters called for Netanyahu to resign, while during a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant lambasted the Israeli government for what he said was prioritizing control of a key border area known as the Philadelphi corridor over a deal to free hostages, calling it a “moral disgrace.”

Splits within the cabinet over the conduct of the war have become increasingly public and rancorous in recent months reflecting deep divisions at the top of Israel’s government.

American officials have described new urgency in reaching a ceasefire-for-hostages deal. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said while meeting the families of Americans held hostage that “the next few days will be critical” in the push to free those still held by Hamas.

Strike to hit public services, schools

As well as an impact on flights, some Israeli municipalities have said they’ll join the strike, including Tel Aviv and Haifa, according to a list from the Histadrut outlining who has joined the action as well as statements from some of the cities.

The list also includes government ministries that impact a wide range of public services, the document shows, including parts of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Interior Ministry, and others. CNN has reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office for comment.

Hospitals and healthcare facilities could also be impacted, with both working on a weekend schedule and on an emergency basis, according to the statement.

The country’s teachers’ union has said it will not join the strike, according to a statement from the union, though support staff at schools will, which may impact education institutions.

However, Israel’s biggest universities will all join the strike, including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University.

A spokesperson for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said the shutdown would be more extensive than previous measures taken since the beginning of the war, such as a partial strike in June. This shutdown will include all activities except for exams.

Ahead of Monday’s strike, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich asked the country’s attorney general to request urgent injunctions to prevent the planned action.

In a letter addressed to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Smotrich argued that a strike would hurt the economy during wartime and set a dangerous precedent. A hearing is set to be held Monday morning.

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CNN’s Lauren Izso, Tara John, Michael Rios and Eugenia Yosef contributed reporting.