An Israeli court on Monday ordered the Histadrut Labor Federation, Israel’s largest union, to end its nationwide strike earlier than planned. The strike, which began on Monday in protest of the deaths of six Israeli hostages in Gaza last week, was initially scheduled to conclude at 6 pm (Israeli time). However, the court intervened, ordering the strike to end by 2:30 pm. The Histadrut, following the court’s decision, confirmed that it would comply with the order.
The strike was a response to the discovery of six dead hostages in the Gaza Strip’s Rafah last week, which triggered an outpouring of grief and anger among Israelis directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Many blame him for failing to secure the release of the hostages. Despite ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, the talks remain stalled due to Netanyahu’s insistence on certain demands, such as control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border and the Netzarim Corridor across Gaza. These demands, inserted into the original US-backed proposal in May, have been met with resistance, preventing the conclusion of a deal.
The government challenged the legality of the strike, arguing that it was an attempt to pressure the government rather than a legitimate representation of workers’ rights. Earlier in the day, with Netanyahu’s approval, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sought an injunction, claiming that the strike’s focus was unrelated to worker issues and constituted an abuse of power. This assertion was supported by the Jerusalem Post, which echoed the government’s view.
The strike brought a significant portion of the Israeli economy to a standstill. Municipal, governmental, and private businesses were closed, several schools were shut down, and the country’s only international airport was partially closed.
Following the court order, Histadrut chief Arnon Bar-David released a statement affirming his commitment to ending the strike as instructed. He emphasized that the strike was not the primary concern, but rather the fate of the hostages. “I thank every one of you — you proved that the fate of the hostages is not right-wing or left-wing, there is only life or death, and we won’t allow life to be abandoned,” Bar-David stated, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Separately, a forum representing the families of the hostages urged the public to maintain their demonstrations against Netanyahu, holding him accountable for failing to secure the hostages’ release. “This is not about a strike, this is about rescuing the 101 hostages that were abandoned by Netanyahu with the cabinet decision last Thursday,” stated the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, as reported by the newspaper. The families of the hostages and members of the public have been participating in widespread nationwide protests across Israel since the weekend, demanding Netanyahu’s resignation and accusing him of prioritizing his own political agenda over the lives of the hostages.
