Israel's largest labor union is planning a major strike on Monday to demand a ceasefire between the country and Hamas after six Israeli hostages were found dead inside a Hamas tunnel.
“Instead of an agreement we are receiving body bags,” Arnon Bar David, head of the Histadrut labour federation, told reporters on Sunday, according to Reuters.
“We have to reach an agreement. An agreement is more important than anything,” he said.
The Histadrut Labor Federation is Israel's main labor union, representing hundreds of thousands of workers, and Bar-David's call for a one-day strike was backed by the country's manufacturers and tech entrepreneurs, Reuters reported.
American hostage Hersh Goldberg Pollin, five others 'brutally murdered' by Hamas before being rescued, IDF reports
Histadrut president Arnon Bar David called for the labor strikes at a press conference. (Reuters)
“Without the return of the hostages, we cannot end the war, we cannot rebuild society, and we cannot begin to rebuild the Israeli economy,” said Ron Tomer, president of the Israel Manufacturers Association, in support of Bar David's call for a strike.
“The government must do everything in its power to return the hostages as soon as possible, even within the constraints of a limited ceasefire, and I call on all Israeli companies to take action to make this happen,” he added.
Israel says it has retrieved the bodies of six hostages in a “complex rescue operation” and that the bodies are being kept in a humanitarian area
According to the New York Post, Israeli municipalities including Tel Aviv, Kfar Saba and Givatayim agreed to join the strike on Monday.
As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues in the Gaza Strip, protesters rally in front of the Defense Ministry to protest against the government and to show support for the hostages kidnapped in the deadly October 7 attack, in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 1, 2024. REUTERS/Florion Goga (Reuters)
Hamas terrorists killed six hostages on Saturday as the Israel Defense Forces launched a rescue operation in a tunnel beneath the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip. Among the bodies recovered was that of Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg Pollin, who had been held captive by Hamas terrorists since October 7, when war broke out between Hamas and Israel.
Those confirmed dead are Goldberg Polin, 23; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Oli Danino, 25; Alex Lobanov, 32; Carmel Gatto, 40; and Almog Sarsi, 27.
Hersh Goldberg Pollin (Israeli Minister of Defense)
“Our initial assessment is that they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before our arrival,” IDF spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said in a statement.
Netanyahu mourns deaths of six hostages rescued in Gaza, vows to 'finish it off' with Hamas
War has been ongoing in the Middle East since Hamas launched a series of attacks on Israel on October 7, which Israel declared war on shortly after. An estimated 257 Israeli hostages were trapped in Gaza when the war began, and 101 hostages remain there today. Of the remaining 101 hostages, 66 are believed to be alive, four of whom are U.S. citizens.
As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues in the Gaza Strip, protesters rally in front of the Defense Ministry to protest against the government and to show support for the hostages kidnapped in the deadly October 7 attack, in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 1, 2024. REUTERS/Florion Goga (Reuters)
Bardavid criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas had failed due to “political considerations.”
After the hostages' bodies were recovered, Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a statement he was “deeply shocked” by the murders.
Defense minister says Israel must 'expand objectives' of war to bring northerners home
“Those who kill the abductees do not want an agreement. We are facing difficult days. The heart of the entire nation is torn,” Netanyahu said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint session of Congress in the House of Representatives Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on July 24, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
“Along with all Israelis, I am deeply shocked by the brutal and cold-blooded murder of the six abduction victims.”
Reuters reported that protesters gathered in the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Sunday, as well as outside Netaif's residence, calling for a ceasefire.
As conflict continues in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, demonstrators rally and run outside the Ministry of Defense to protest against the government and show support for hostages kidnapped in a deadly attack on October 7, in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 1, 2024. REUTERS/Florion Goga (Reuters)
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The strike is expected to begin at 6 a.m. and cause disruption including the closure of Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main airport.
Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this report.
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