Israel faces general strike after night of protests

BBC:

Israel is braced for a general strike as protests continue over what is seen as the government’s failure to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Tensions have been running high since the bodies of six hostages were recovered by soldiers on Saturday, causing national outrage.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of people rallied across Israel accusing PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his government of not doing enough to reach a deal over the remaining hostages taken by Hamas during the 7 October attack.

The call for a one-day strike on Monday was issued by Israel’s biggest labour union, Histadrut, whose leader, Arnon Bar-David, said the country was getting “body bags instead of a deal”.

The government has reacted angrily to the union’s action, with far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich accusing it of playing into the hands of Hamas.

It is unclear how widely the stoppage will be observed, after several cities and municipalities announced they would not take part.

However, the call for a nationwide strike is the latest sign that public anger at the latest hostage killings is not about to subside.