Israel’s first nationwide general strike since the October 7 attacks ended after a labour court ordered employees back to work on September 2, 2024. The Histadrut trade-union federation called the action to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to reach a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement with Hamas after Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six hostages in Gaza.
The strike began at 6am local time and affected government and municipal offices, schools, businesses and parts of the transport system. Departures at Ben Gurion airport were reported to have stopped for about two hours, although an airport representative said operations were generally continuing. Ports slowed activity, while participation varied across cities and workplaces.
A Tel Aviv labour court ordered the strike to end at 2.30pm, finding that it lacked an economic basis and was primarily political. Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David accepted the ruling while arguing that hundreds of thousands of citizens had demonstrated that the hostages’ fate was a matter of life and death rather than party politics. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who had sought an injunction, welcomed the decision and opposed economic disruption.
The walkout followed large demonstrations the previous evening. Protesters blocked the Ayalon highway in Tel Aviv, lit fires and demanded that the government secure the hostages’ return. Police said 29 people were arrested. Further gatherings took place during the strike, including at the area known as Hostages Square, where six yellow wreaths were laid for Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino.
The Israeli military said the six had been killed by Hamas shortly before troops reached the tunnel where they were found in the Rafah area. Israel’s health ministry said post-mortem examinations indicated that they had been shot at close range 48 to 72 hours before recovery. Hamas rejected the accusation and said Israeli forces were responsible.
The deaths sharpened criticism from hostage families and their supporters, who accused Netanyahu of delaying an agreement for political reasons. He rejected that claim and said Hamas had refused a proposal accepted by Israeli negotiators in late May. Far-right members of his coalition opposed any arrangement linked to a permanent ceasefire before Hamas was destroyed, while some families of fallen soldiers also argued that stopping the economy rewarded Hamas.
US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators were still pursuing an agreement involving the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a ceasefire. The court’s intervention curtailed the labour action, but it did not resolve the political dispute that brought large numbers of Israelis into the streets. The confrontation over policy therefore continued after employees returned.
