Tel Aviv: In wake of six hostages’ bodies recovered from a Gaza tunnel, Israel’s main union calls for a nationwide strike.
Key Highlights:
Israel’s Histadrut union launches nationwide strike after six hostages’ bodies found in Gaza.
The remains recovered from tunnel at Rafah, southern Gaza.
Of the 251 hostages seized during the October 7 attack by Hamas, 97 remain captive.
Relatives of hostages ask for urgent action to secure their release.
Main Content:
Following the recovery by soldiers of bodies of six hostages from a tunnel in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s main union, Histadrut, declared a nationwide general strike commencing Monday. Military officials said that remains had been found on Saturday in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area of southern Gaza. These hostages were among 251 people taken during Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, which set off the ongoing conflict.
- Histadrut’s call for a “complete strike” comes as the families of the remaining 97 hostages, including 33 who the army says are dead, criticize the government’s handling of the situation. The families claim the lives of the six could have been spared if negotiations were not delayed. They demand an immediate deal for the release of the remaining captives.
- Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David announced a strike of the entire Israeli economy, to begin at 6:00 AM Monday morning, and said that “political” considerations must not stand in the way of bringing the hostages home. The move is seen as a powerful step the union is taking to force the government to conclude a deal.
- The hostages were Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, Hersch Goldberg-Polin, a US-Israeli citizen, and Alexander Lobanov, a Russian-Israeli. They are accused by the military of being brutally killed by Hamas just before the Israeli forces reached them. On the other hand, Hamas asserted the opposite-that the hostages had died due to Israeli airstrikes, an accusation which the military has denied.
- US President Joe Biden had said he was “devastated” and “outraged” by the deaths, adding he still holds out hope a truce and hostage release deal can be reached. The Biden administration, along with Qatar and Egypt, has been working to mediate a cease-fire.
- Meanwhile, violence in the West Bank continues, with raids carried out by many Israeli forces against Palestinian operatives. The continuing conflict has also produced a significant humanitarian crisis in Gaza, marked by mass displacement, destruction, and a worsening health situation.
- The United Nations has reported that at least 637 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli troops or settlers since the start of the conflict. Fighting also brought a humanitarian crisis to the Gaza Strip, where initiatives have been made to vaccinate 640,000 children against polio amidst the continuing war.
As tensions rise, so does the situation continue to become critical; therefore, the decision-makers in Israel are increasingly under pressure to secure the freedom of the remaining hostages in order to put an end to the ongoing conflict.
