Israel-Gaza live: General strike ordered to end as thousands protest for ceasefire

Kamala Harris has spoken with the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the Israeli-American who was among the six hostages killed by Hamas whose bodies were recovered in Gaza over the weekend.

The Vice President wrote in a post on X: “Doug and I just spoke to Jon and Rachel, Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents, to express our condolences following the brutal murder of their son by Hamas terrorists. My heart breaks for their pain and anguish.

“I told them: As they mourn this terrible loss, they are not alone. Our nation mourns with them.”

In a statement issued before the meeting, Ms Harris condemned Hamas as “evil”. She continued: “I strongly condemn Hamas’ continued brutality, and so must the entire world.”

The head of Israel’s Histadrut Labour union has said workers are ordered back to their jobs.

It comes after the country’s Labour court cut short the general strike in a ruling.

Dozens of protesters have blocked roads in Tel Aviv and other cities around the country, reported local media.

According to the Times of Israel, demonstrators blocked Ibn Gvirol Street in the Israeli capital on Monday, as well as a road in the northern city of Rosh Pina.

Among other areas affected was Shilat Junction near Modiin, where protesters gathered, the newspaper added.

Israel’s Labour Court in Tel Aviv ruled that a general strike that shut much of the country’s economy must end within the hour, at 2.30pm local time (12.30pm UK time), according to court documents seen by Reuters.

Israel’s main trade union had previously called for the strike to end three-and-a-half hours later at 6pm, reported the Times of Israel.

Sobbing and terrified, the 12-year-old Palestinian schoolboy says Israeli soldiers ordered him and his cousins to strip down to their underwear, before forcing them at gunpoint to act as “human shields”.

It was late December 2023 in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City that had become an epicentre of Israel’s ferocious assault on the strip, following Hamas’s 7 October attacks. After the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for the area, the male members of the families who lived in the same building left under heavy fire, searching for shelter.

That left only the women and children, cowering in their homes when a dozen soldiers raided the building, Shadi, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, tells The Independent.

Our international correspondent Bel Trew reports from Jerusalem:

The first general strike in Israel since the start of the war against Gaza was called for Monday, with the aim of shutting down or disrupting major sectors of the economy, including banking, healthcare and the country’s main airport.

As it got underway in the morning, airlines at Israel’s main international airport Ben-Gurion were halting outgoing flights between 8am and 10am local time (6am and 8am BST).

Those flights either departed early or were slightly delayed, and travellers were seen lining up at check-in counters despite the limited disruption. Arriving flights were continuing as usual during that time, according to the Israel Airports Authority.

Banks, some large malls and government offices were all closed due to the strike and public transit was limited.

Municipalities in Israel’s populated central area, including Tel Aviv, were participating in the strike, leading to shortened school hours and cancellations for public daycares and kindergartens.

Many municipalities, however, including Jerusalem, were not participating in the strike. Israeli media reported that the state appealed to a labour court to cancel the strike, saying it was politically motivated.

At least 40,786 Palestinians have been killed and 94,224 wounded in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the enclave’s health authorities said on Monday.

A rare call for a general strike in Israel to protest against the government’s failure to return hostages held in Gaza has led to widespread closures and other disruptions – however, the call was ignored in some areas, reflecting deep political divisions in the country.

The families and much of the public blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after six hostages were found dead in the Strip on Sunday, saying they could have been returned alive in a deal with Hamas to end the war.

But others support Mr Netanyahu’s strategy of maintaining relentless military pressure on the group, saying it will eventually force the militants to give in to Israeli demands, potentially lead to more successful rescues and ultimately annihilate the group.