TEL AVIV, 1 September. /Arnon Bar-David, chairman of Israel's Histadrut trade union confederation, has called a one-day general strike for Monday 2 September, demanding that the country's authorities secure the immediate release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
"I call on the people of Israel to take to the streets and on all economic organisations to join the strike," said the union leader, whose speech was broadcast by i24 television.
Bar-David expressed the view that the agreement to release the hostages was being delayed "for political reasons". He said he had gained this impression after communicating with Israeli officials, including representatives of the security structures. The fact that Jews are being killed in the Gaza tunnels is unacceptable. We must reach an agreement, this is more important than anything else," he stressed.
The Histadrut leader's statement came after reports of the deaths of six other Israeli hostages in Gaza, including Alexander Lobanov, who also held Russian citizenship. According to the Israeli army press service, their bodies were found by the army on the evening of 31 August in an underground tunnel near the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, where fighting had been taking place in recent days.
The full list of businesses that will close on 2 September will be published at a later date. According to Ynet, medical institutions, pharmacies, defence companies and shopping centres are expected to join the strike. According to Channel 12, Ben Gurion Airport will be closed from 8:00 Moscow time. The strike has already been supported by the Tel Aviv municipality.
Photo: Ivan Batyrev / TASS / gnews.cz-jav_07
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