JERUSALEM, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The head of Israel’s biggest labour union called for a general strike on Monday to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to bring back Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, as thousands of protesters took to the streets.
The call for a one-day general strike by Arnon Bar-David, whose Histadrut union represents hundreds of thousands of workers, was backed by Israel’s main manufacturers and entrepreneurs in the high-tech sector.
The alliance of some of the most powerful voices in Israel’s economy reflected the scale of public anger over the deaths, announced on Sunday, of six hostages among some 250 people seized by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 last year.
“We must reach a deal (on the return of the surviving hostages). A deal is more important than anything else,” Bar-David told a press conference. “We are getting body bags instead of a deal.”
So as news is coming out, do I have this right that Hamas shot these hostages in retaliation for Israel’s assassination of that top Hamas leader a few days ago?
I mean that’s what Israel is saying. Hamas is saying that these were the hostages that were due to be released as per the negotiation for a ceasefire. It’s honestly 50/50 as per who killed them.