UPDATE - Israel’s main labor union calls general strike to push for prisoner swap with Palestinians

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Khaled Yousef and Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) - Israel’s largest labor union has called a general strike on Monday to pressure the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a prisoner swap deal with Palestinians.

The call came hours after the Israeli army said that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages from the southern Gaza Strip.

“We are getting body bags instead of a deal. I have come to the conclusion that only our intervention might move those who need to be moved,” Histadrut Labor Federation chief Arnon Bar-David said on Sunday evening.

“I call on the people of Israel to go out to the streets tonight and tomorrow and for everyone to take part in the strike,” he added.

The strike is planned to start at 6 a.m. and is currently planned as a one-day strike, with Bar-David saying decisions beyond Monday will be made later, according to The Times of Israel newspaper.

Ben Gurion Airport will be closed and all takeoffs and landings will halt at 8 a.m. (0500GMT), a spokesman for Israel’s largest labor union Histadrut said.

The spokesman, however, did not specify when airport operations will resume.

The Israel Business Forum, which represents most private-sector workers from 200 of the country’s largest companies, said it will join the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza as they call on the public to mobilize, the daily added.

“Tonight, there will be an emergency meeting of the forum together with the headquarters and other organizations and more information about the decisions will be released,” the forum said.

The Times of Israel also reported that in line with the general strike called by the Histadrut, the Teachers Union, a branch of the Histadrut, announced that “all K-12 schools in Israel will be open only until 11:45 a.m. tomorrow, except schools for special needs kids.”

The union’s early childhood director further said that all kindergartens will be completely closed on Monday, except for special needs centers.

Haaretz revealed that the three major Israeli news channels – Channel 11, Channel 12 and Channel 13, “announced changes to regular broadcast schedules, postponing reality TV shows and other entertainment programs in favor of news broadcasts and coverage of the hostages' funerals.”

Some municipalities and local governments, such as Gezer Regional Council, Tel Aviv and Givatayim municipalities, said their employees will join the protesting families. A large Israeli law firm also said it would support the protest, offering legal assistance to anyone targeted by Israeli police.

Restaurants, food and beverage businesses, movie theaters and entertainment venues across Israel have announced that they will close their doors as of Sunday evening in support of the families of hostages, calling on their customers to "join the demonstrations."

"Don't leave the hostage families on their own," wrote an association of Israeli restaurant owners.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied responsibility for the death of the six hostages, claiming that Hamas was the one refusing to participate in “genuine negotiations.”

Hamas said that the six hostages were killed as a result of ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli daily Haaretz, citing an Israeli source, said three of the six hostages were supposed to be released in the first stage of the prisoner swap deal currently being negotiated.

"They appeared in the lists given over at the beginning of July. It was possible to bring them back alive," the source said.

Israel estimates that over 100 hostages remain held by Hamas in Gaza, some of whom are believed to have been already killed.

For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and a cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands to stop the war.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,700 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 94,100 injuries, according to local health authorities.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.