JERUSALEM: Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has endorsed calls for a nationwide strike in support of hostages still held in Gaza.
“Strike on Sunday,“ Lapid wrote on social media, emphasising that the protest should transcend political divisions.
Sunday marks the start of Israel’s workweek, making it a symbolic day for collective action.
“Strike out of solidarity,“ Lapid urged, adding that the families’ plea alone justified the protest.
The call follows a demand by around 20 hostage families for a strike to pressure the government.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing relatives, has also supported the strike proposal.
However, Israel’s main trade union federation, Histadrut, declined to officially join the strike.
Instead, the federation will permit workers to participate in solidarity demonstrations.
The Forum urged citizens to take the day off and follow their conscience in demanding action.
“675 days of captivity and war must end,“ the group stated, criticising the government’s handling of the crisis.
Relatives accuse officials of neglecting hostages in favour of prolonged military operations.
Israel recently approved plans to expand its offensive into remaining parts of Gaza.
Concerns persist that further military action could endanger the remaining hostages.
Of the 251 people taken during Hamas’s 2023 attack, 49 are still held, with 27 presumed dead.
Hamas recently released videos showing two hostages in severely weakened conditions.
The 2023 attack killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to official figures.
Israel’s military response has resulted in over 61,000 deaths, per Gaza’s health ministry.
The UN considers the ministry’s casualty reports reliable despite ongoing conflict. – AFP