General Strike Announced to Pressure Israeli Government on Hostage Deal

The leader of Israel's Histadrut labour union, Arnon Bar-David, called for a nationwide strike to pressure the government into securing the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The strike is set to begin at 6 a.m. on Monday and includes the closure of Ben Gurion Airport.

The leader of Israel's Histadrut labour union, Arnon Bar-David, announced a general strike to commence at 6 a.m. on Monday. The objective is to pressure the government to negotiate a deal for the release of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

Bar-David, whose union represents hundreds of thousands of workers, urged all civilian workers to join the strike. He also confirmed that Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's primary air transport hub, will be closed starting from 8 a.m. Bar-David criticized the government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for failing to bring back the hostages alive. While a dozen bodies have been returned over the past week, around 101 hostages remain, with estimates suggesting that a third are no longer alive.

At a news conference, Bar-David emphasized the urgent need to address the situation, stating, "The neglect of the economy must be stopped. Israel must be returned to a reasonable routine. We must reach a deal. A deal is more important than anything else. We are getting body bags instead of a deal."

(With inputs from agencies.)