The Israeli labor union Histadrut has announced that it will comply with an order from the Tel Aviv Labor Court to end its general strike this afternoon. Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David stated, 'We live in a state of law and respect the court’s decision, therefore I instruct everyone to return to work at 2:30 p.m. local time.' Bar-David also emphasized the significance of the solidarity strike, noting that it garnered support from hundreds of thousands of citizens.
The nationwide strike, which began on Monday morning, was initiated to demand government action to secure the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Despite the decision to end the strike, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a group advocating for the captives and their families, urged protesters to continue demonstrating and pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prioritize securing a hostage and ceasefire agreement.
Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, welcomed the end of the strike, expressing concerns about the potential economic impact and its implications on national security. He emphasized the need to prevent any actions that could benefit Hamas, particularly its leader Yahya Sinwar.
The forum criticized Netanyahu's recent cabinet decision to maintain Israeli soldiers in the Philadelphi corridor as a condition for negotiating a ceasefire and hostage release deal. The group underscored the urgency of the situation, stating, 'This isn’t about a strike, this is about saving the lives of 101 hostages who were neglected by Netanyahu with the cabinet’s decision last Thursday.'
