Israel-Gaza war: General strike begins amid anger over hostages and failed deal talks

Republican candidate Donald Trump, said on Truth Social: “The Hostage Crisis in Israel is only taking place because Comrade Kamala Harris is weak and ineffective, and has no idea what she’s doing.

“I look forward to seeing her at the Debate! Biden failed, and now he spends his day on the beach, plotting and scheming how to take out his once Political Opponent, ME, who took him out both at the Debate, and otherwise. THE OCTOBER 7th ISRAELI CRISIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IF I WERE PRESIDENT!”

President Joe Biden has met with parents of Israeli-American hostage killed.

Israel on Sunday said it had recovered the bodies of six hostages in Gaza, including a young Israeli-American man who became one of the most well-known captives held by Hamas as his parents met with world leaders and pressed for his release.

A White House Official has said: “This morning, President Biden spoke with Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, to offer his condolences for the death of their son at the hands of Hamas.”

It came as the young members of hostage families are currently leading a funeral procession through Tel Aviv, carrying symbolic coffins.

The families of the hostages are calling people throughout Israel to take to the streets and “choose to be on the right side of history”.

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.

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.