An Israeli labor court in Tel Aviv has ordered an immediate halt to a nationwide general strike aimed at pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to negotiate the release of hostages held in Gaza.
The strike was called following the deaths of six hostages, who were killed by the militant group Hamas.
The court’s ruling, issued on Monday, mandates that the strike ceases by 2:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. GMT). The decision was made at the request of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
In response to the ruling, the head of the Histadrut, Israel’s labor federation, has instructed workers to return to their jobs.
The strike was initiated after the Israeli military recovered the bodies of the six hostages from a tunnel in Rafah, southern Gaza. This recovery occurred amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has been devastating the region for about 11 months.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has urgently called for a Security Council meeting to discuss the situation of the hostages.
Danon expressed his outrage in a formal appeal, condemning Hamas for the brutal killing of six innocent civilians and urging the international community to take action.
Danon has requested that the Security Council hold an emergency session to condemn Hamas and address the plight of the hostages still being held in Gaza.
He criticized the Council for not condemning Hamas or expressing concern over the fate of the hostages, highlighting that it has been 11 months since the massacre in which 1,200 Israelis were killed.
