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Israel’s largest trade union has called a general strike on Monday following the deaths of six hostages in Gaza.
The Histadrut, which represents some 800,000 workers in such areas as health care, transport and banking, said the strike is aimed at stepping up pressure on the government to reach a ceasefire that would bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas in the Strip.
The families of the captives blamed Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli military said early on Sunday that the corpses were recovered from a tunnel beneath the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where they were apparently killed not long before the troops reached them.
The bodies of Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino have been returned to Israel, military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. All six were captured by Hamas during the 7 October attack that ignited the Gaza war.
The discovery sparked calls for mass protests by families of the captives who said their loved ones could have been returned alive in a ceasefire deal.
Calling on the Israeli prime minister to take responsibility and explain what was holding up an agreement, The Hostage Families Forum said: “The delay in signing the deal has led to their deaths and those of many other hostages.”
Three Israeli police officers shot dead on West Bank
Palestinian militants killed three Israeli police officers on Sunday when they opened fire on a vehicle in the occupied West Bank, where Israel has carried out large-scale raids in recent days.
The attack took place along a road in the southern West Bank. The raids have mainly been focused on urban refugee camps in the northern part of the territory, where Israeli forces have traded fire with militants on a near-daily basis since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
The police confirmed that all three killed were officers and said the assailants slipped away.
One of the officers killed was Roni Shakuri, 61, from the southern town of Sderot near the Gaza border, police said. His daughter, Mor, who was also a police officer, was killed in a battle with Hamas militants when they tried to take over the Sderot police station during the Oct. 7 attack.
A little-known militant group calling itself the Khalil al-Rahman Brigade claimed responsibility for the shooting on Sunday. Hamas praised the attack as a “natural response” to the war in Gaza and called for more.
Senator Lindsey Graham is ‘heartbroken, devastated, mad’ over hostage deaths
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said told ABC News’ This Week that he is “heartbroken, devastated, mad” over the deaths of the six hostages whose bodies were recovered in Gaza on Saturday.
Watch: Netanyahu decries ‘terrible, cold-blooded murder of six hostages’
Netanyahu decries ‘terrible, cold-blooded murder of six hostages’
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decried Hamas’ “terrible, cold-blooded murder” of six hostages recovered in Gaza. He was speaking after Israel’s military on Sunday 1 September announced the recovery of the bodies, including a young Israeli-American man. They said all six had been killed shortly before the arrival of Israeli forces trying to rescue them. Mr Netanyahu accused Hamas of killing them in “cold blood” and said Israel would hold the group accountable. He also accused the group of scuttling ongoing cease-fire efforts.
UK foreign secretary calls for release of hostages and deal to end war in Gaza
The UK foreign secretary has called for the immediate release of all hostages and for all sides to accept the deal to end the war in Gaza.
David Lammy said on X: “The UK condemns Hamas’ appalling murder of six innocent hostages in Gaza in the strongest terms. I offer my deepest condolences to those grieving at this awful time.
“Hamas must release all the hostages immediately, and all sides must accept the deal on the table to end this war.”
Shadow home secretary James Cleverly posted: “The heartbreaking news of the murder of these hostages serves as a brutal reminder of the ongoing suffering Hamas are causing since October 7th.
“Everything must be done to get all hostages out of the hands of Hamas.”
Hostages’ families to hold gathering later to ‘mourn and pray together’
Nivi Feldman, co-chair of The Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK, said a gathering will take place later on Sunday to “mourn and pray together”.
She said: “We are devastated to learn that these hostages have been murdered so brutally.
“We are calling for a deal to be made today.
“We will come together later to mourn and pray together for their souls.
“We’re devastated that such pure souls were taken out of parties, they were taken out of homes, it’s just devastating.
“The community is in shock, the community is in mourning, the community wants their suffering to end.”
Starmer condemns ‘horrific and senseless’ killing of six hostages in Gaza
The Prime Minister has labelled the killing of six Israeli hostages in Gaza “horrific and senseless”.
Sir Keir Starmer posted on social media site X: “I am completely shocked at the horrific and senseless killing of six hostages in Gaza by Hamas. My thoughts are with their loved ones at this awful time.
“Hamas must release all the hostages now, and a ceasefire deal must be agreed by all sides immediately to end the suffering.”
Israeli trades union federation calls general strike on Monday
Israel’s largest trade union has called a general strike on Monday following the deaths of six hostages in the Gaza Strip.
The Histadrut, which represents some 800,000 workers in such areas as health care, transport and banking, said the strike would begin on Monday morning.
It is aimed at stepping up pressure on the government to reach a ceasefire that would bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
The head of the union, Arnon Bar-David, called on all civilian workers to join the strike and said Ben Gurion airport, Israel’s main air transport hub, would be closed from 8am local time (5am GMT).
Bar-David said that for now, the strike would just be for Monday but he sharply criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for failing to bring hostages back alive. A dozen bodies of hostages have been brought back to Israel in the past week. Some 101 still remain, although Israel believes one-third of them are no longer alive.
“The neglect of the economy must be stopped,” Bar-David said at a news conference. “Israel must be returned to a reasonable routine… We must reach a deal. A deal is more important than anything else.
“We are getting body bags instead of a deal.”
This would be the first general strike since the Hamas attack on 7 October.
A general strike last year during Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul helped lead to a temporary delay in the plan.
White House’s National Security Adviser to speak with hostages’ families, according to reports
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to hold a virtual meeting on Sunday with families of American hostages held by Hamas, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said on social media, citing a source.
Israeli defence minister calls for deal to bring Gaza hostages home
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to conclude a ceasefire deal with Hamas to bring the remaining hostages home from Gaza, as the bodies of six of those taken on 7 October were brought home.
“It’s too late for the abductees who were murdered in cold blood. The abductees who remain in the captivity of Hamas must be returned home,” he said on the social media platform X.
“The political-security cabinet must convene immediately and reverse the decision made on Thursday,” he said, referring to a decision by the cabinet to insist on keeping troops in the so-called Philadelphi corridor, along the southern edge of Gaza.
Netanyahu’s insistence on keeping troops in the corridor to prevent Hamas smuggling weapons in from Egypt, has been widely seen as one of the major obstacles to an agreement with Hamas in talks brokered by Egypt and Qatar.
Gallant has clashed repeatedly with Netanyahu and hardline religious nationalist ministers over the need to reach a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and bring the remaining hostages back in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Around a third of the 101 Israeli and foreign captives still in Gaza are believed to have died, with the fate of the others unknown.
Israeli media reported that Gallant confronted Netanyahu angrily during the cabinet meeting on Thursday over the issue of the Philadelphi corridor and warned that time was running out for a hostage deal.
Hostage families blame Netanyahu after six bodies recovered from Rafah tunnels
The families of the Israeli hostages have blamed Benjamin Netanyahu after the bodies of six captives were recovered from Gaza.
The discovery sparked calls for mass protests by families of the hostages who said their loved ones could have been returned alive in a ceasefire deal.
The Hostage Families Forum called on the Israeli prime minister to take responsibility and explain what was holding up an agreement, as 101 Israeli and foreign captives remain in Gaza, with around two-thirds of these possibly alive.
Speaking of the six, the forum said: “They were all murdered in the last few days, after surviving almost 11 months of abuse, torture, and starvation in Hamas captivity. The delay in signing the deal has led to their deaths and those of many other hostages.”
Source: independent.co.uk
