Families of Gaza hostages and victims of the October 7 massacre announced on Sunday that they would initiate a nationwide shutdown the following Sunday to protest the Security Cabinet's decision to occupy Gaza City.
At a press conference in front of the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, families represented by the October Council said that Sunday, August 17, would mark a nationwide shutdown in protest of the Security Cabinet's decision to occupy Gaza City, which they say endangers the lives of the hostages and soldiers.
The families said the shutdown is expected to include private companies, organizations, and labor unions.
Will the Histadrut join the strikes?
Yaniv Levi, a representative from the Histadrut, Israel’s national trade union, told KAN that the union plans to meet the hostages’ families on Monday to continue future actions. “This issue is in our hearts and our blood. Tomorrow we will come with other players in the economy. Wherever we can help, we will help.
“I call on everyone to see how they can assist the families. We have the right – and the duty – to listen to every word. If, God forbid, I were in their place, I don’t know how I would act. They have simply been abandoned,” Levi told KAN.
In July of last year, Histadrut head Arnon Bar-David threw his support behind a march planned by family members of hostages and called on the Israeli public to join them. Bar-David also said he would supply the march with resources and appointed a senior team to accompany marchers and organizers.
Security Cabinet approves Gaza occupation
Last Friday, the security cabinet approved Netanyahu’s plan to occupy Gaza City and adopted five principles for ending the war.
These include disarming Hamas, returning all hostages, both living and murdered, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, Israel maintaining security control over Gaza, and the existence of a civilian government that is not controlled by either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
Hostage families and Israeli opposition figures criticized the plan, calling it “a disaster” that would endanger the remaining hostages in terrorist captivity.
Eve Young and Yael Halfon contributed to this report.