Israeli airport to close due to general strike

Chief of the General Organisation of Workers in Israel, or Histadrut, Arnon Bar-David has announced a one-day general strike on September 2, urging the country's authorities to take immediate action for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.  

 "I call on the people of Israel to take to the streets and for all economic organisations to join the strike," Bar-David stated in a televised address on the i24 channel, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

Bar-David indicated that the delay in the hostage release deal is "due to political reasons." He shared that this conclusion was drawn from discussions with Israeli officials, including security officers.

"We can no longer stand by and do nothing. It is unacceptable that Jews are being murdered in tunnels in Gaza. We must reach an agreement. This is more important than anything else," he emphasised.

The Histadrut leader’s statement came just hours after the news that six Israeli hostages, including Alexander Lobanov, who also held Russian citizenship, were found dead in the Gaza Strip. 

Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the bodies had been discovered by Israeli troops in a tunnel near the city of Rafah in southern Gaza late on August 31. The full list of companies joining the strike on September 2 will be announced later.

According to the Ynet news portal, the strike will include companies and organisations from the healthcare sector, pharmacies, and food production companies. TV Channel 12 reported that Ben Gurion Airport will be closed starting at 8 a.m., and the Tel Aviv municipality has also expressed support for the strike.