A strike on Monday, September 2, called by Israel's largest labor union shuttered parts of the country to pressure the government into reaching a Gaza deal to free hostages, though several sectors were unaffected.
The Histadrut trade union called a nationwide strike beginning at 6 am local time, a day after mass demonstrations following the army's announcement that troops had recovered the bodies of six hostages "murdered" in a Gaza tunnel.
The commercial hub of Tel Aviv and the northern coastal city of Haifa heeded the strike calls and announced municipal services would be closed Monday. The Haifa port also slowed down or ceased some of its activities, Histadrut spokesman Peter Lerner said on social media platform X. The Ben Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv saw some flights delayed, and none at all for two hours leading up to 10 am.
But not all municipalities joined the strike, like Jerusalem where light rail services were still cancelled in the morning. Private-run public transportation services were at least partly functional at midday. The public sector was also affected, with some services paused.
Israeli media said that upon request by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich – a far-right leader who opposes a truce – prosecutors asked a labor court to rule against the "political strike." A hearing is due later on Monday.