Israel’s finance minister says striking workers will not be paid
Bezalel Smotrich said he has directed the treasury not to pay anyone who joins the general strike called by Histadrut.
The far-right minister, who has also called on the courts to stop the strike action, also accused the chairman of Histadrut, Arnon Bar-David, of working in the interests of Hamas’s leader Yahya Sinwar.
“I regret that instead of the Histadrut Chairman choosing to support the State of Israel in these difficult times by helping to strengthen the Israeli economy, support businesses, and back reservists, he is effectively fulfilling Sinwar’s dream,” Smotrich said in a statement.
“Instead of representing Israeli workers, he chooses to represent Hamas’s interests.”
Earlier, tens of thousands of Israelis have hit the streets demanding a ceasefire deal and Israel’s main labour union has called for a strike after six more captives were found dead in Gaza.
Scuffles between the protesters and security forces were reported on Sunday night in one of the largest anti-government demonstrations in Israel since the Gaza war began nearly 11 months ago.
The protesters chanted “Now! Now!” and demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a ceasefire with Palestinian group Hamas to bring the remaining captives home.
Many Israelis blocked roads in Tel Aviv and demonstrated outside Netanyahu’s office in West Jerusalem.
Relatives and supporters of Israelis taken captive in Gaza protest outside PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in West Jerusalem [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]
In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of captives held in Gaza, said the death of the six hostages was the direct result of Netanyahu’s failure to secure a deal to halt the fighting and bring their loved ones home.
“They were all murdered in the last few days, after surviving almost 11 months of abuse, torture and starvation in Hamas captivity,” the forum said.
Gil Dickmann, a cousin of Carmel Gat, whose body was among those returned, urged Israelis to put more pressure on their government. “Take to the streets and shut down the country until everyone returns. They can still be saved,” Dickmann posted on X.
Israelis protest outside the prime minister’s office in West Jerusalem [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]
Netanyahu is said to have been defending the right-wing parties in his government that are against any concessions to Hamas.
“They [the parties] could not care less about the hostages,” he said.
Levy stressed that within Netanyahu’s Likud Party, the largest group in the government, Netanyahu wields a lot of power and the party supports him.