Twenty-nine people were arrested on Sunday night and at least seven more were taken into custody as of Monday afternoon during mass protests in Tel Aviv to call for a ceasefire deal with Hamas, according to the Israel Police.
An estimated 30,000 demonstrators initially gathered at the Kaplan junction for an authorized protest. After the official protest ended, however, hundreds illegally blocked traffic on the Ayalon Highway, the city’s major thoroughfare. They committed acts of vandalism, including lighting bonfires and launching fireworks at the police. One policewoman was injured during confrontations with the rioters and was transported to the hospital.
The arrested suspects “violated [public] order, attacked policemen and rioted with brutality and vandalism,” said police, adding that “all the roads have been cleared of protesters and … are gradually being opened to vehicle traffic.”
Protesters took to the streets after the announcement on Sunday morning that Israeli forces had recovered the bodies of six hostages from a Hamas tunnel in Rafah in southern Gaza overnight Saturday.
The hostages, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Almog Sarusi, 25, Alexander Lobanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Master Sgt. Ori Danino, 25, were captured during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the six were killed by their captors shortly before being reached by Israeli troops.
There are still 101 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Left-wing politicians blamed the Israeli government for the hostages’ deaths, with opposition leader Yair Lapid calling for a general strike to pressure the coalition into a ceasefire deal with Hamas.
The Histadrut labor federation, which represents some 800,000 Israeli trade unionists, on Sunday declared a general strike starting at 6 a.m. on Monday, shutting down large sectors of the economy.
At the request of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu, the state filed a petition to the Tel Aviv Labor Court on Monday morning against Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar–David.
According to the petition, the strike was not called “for the purposes of a collective labor dispute, and as such is a political strike.”
The strike was set to last for 24 hours with the possibility of an extension, but Bar-David told the court in Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv, that it would end on Monday at 6 p.m. The court’s president, Judge Hadas Yahalom, then ordered the strike to end at 2:30 p.m., calling it politically motivated.
“After hearing the parties’ positions and perusing the materials submitted to the case, we hereby grant a temporary injunction against the announced strike, in such a way that the strike will end today at 2:30 p.m.,” the decision read. The judge added: “The strike is political, there is no connection between the killing of the abductees and the economy.”
Ben-Gurion International Airport was supposed to strike from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m., with incoming flights not being affected. However, the strike continued past that time, grounding flights and causing disruptions for passengers. Exceptions were made for seven flights departing for the United States.
Tel Aviv’s light rail was operating in a reduced format, with the possibility of delays and disruptions. In Jerusalem, the operator of the city’s light rail system announced that “in light of the Histadrut’s announcement of a general strike in the economy, the light rail will not operate until 12:00 noon. When the strike ends, it will return to normal operation.” Haifa’s Carmelit underground funicular railway was not operating.
The major bus companies Egged, Dan and Metropolin were also striking. Israel Railways was operating normally.
In localities participating in the strike, kindergartens were closed for the school day and elementary and middle schools remained open until 11:45 a.m. High schools were already shuttered over an unrelated salary dispute.
The health system also joined the strike, operating on a Shabbat schedule. Banks, some governmental offices, hi-tech firms and companies that are part of the forum of 200 of Israel’s biggest businesses announced that they would also participate. The large malls belonging to Azrieli, Sarona and Melisron demanded shopkeepers close their stores from noon. BIG shopping malls were closed for the day.
The Histadrut published a full list of those striking.
Nationwide protests were scheduled alongside Monday’s general strike, including blocking roads and intersections, according to a statement by the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters, which included a list of the places to be affected. More protests are scheduled for later in the day, with details to be published.
Some 1,000 protesters blocked Begin Street in Tel Aviv, with dozens descending to the Ayalon Highway, taking over the northbound lanes after previously blocking traffic heading south. Demonstrators lit flares on the road.
Israel Police said that seven people were arrested during the highway demonstration “after violating the [public] order and blocking the movement of vehicles towards the south, while lighting smoke grenades.”
The protesters were removed from the HaShalom Interchange and the Ayalon Highway was reopened to traffic.
Seven protesters were arrested in Tel Aviv on Monday, with more nationwide demonstrations scheduled for 7 p.m., including in Jerusalem outside the Prime Minister’s Residence, Tel Aviv on Begin Street and in Caesarea near the prime minister’s personal residence.
Jerusalem, other localities refuse to participate
The Federation of Local Authorities in Israel joined the strike, and the Histadrut called on the Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa municipalities do do so also. However, Jerusalem announced it would not cooperate.
Other local authorities not taking part included Arad, Ashdod, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Dimona, Holon, Katzrin, Kiryat Gat, Petach Tikvah, Ramle, most of the cities in Haifa’s Krayot bayside suburbs, the Merom HaGalil Regional Council, and all Judea and Samaria municipalities and councils.
The Golan Regional Council said that its educational system would be fully operational on Monday, with a rally to be held in the afternoon in solidarity with the hostages and their families.
Tel Aviv, Givatayim, Herzliya, Hod Hasharon, Kfar Saba, Ra’anana, the Gezer Regional Council and the Azur Local Council participated in the strike and were not providing services.
Kiryat Ata, Nahariya, Netanya, Safed, Sderot, Yeruham, and the Modi’in Regional Council were striking in solidarity for several hours on Monday.
