02/09/2024 12:08
The Guardian
General strike follows tens of thousands taking to the streets in protest against the government’s handling of the war in Gaza. Plus: fears of overtourism in NorwayDon’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.Over the weekend, Israel confirmed the deaths of six more hostages taken in the 7 October attack by Hamas, with the Israeli military saying they were killed by their captors shortly before their bodies were found in a tunnel complex under Gaza.Who is on strike in Israel? Municipalities including Tel Aviv, Givatayim, Herzliya, Ra’anana, Kfar Saba and Hod Hasharon are taking part, while others including Netanya and Sderot are holding solidarity strikes of several hours. All big banks are reportedly taking part, while hospitals are running at weekend capacity. Pre-schools are striking while some schools closed late morning. Ben Gurion airport closed between 8am and 10am, while in Tel Aviv the light rail came to a halt as did Haifa’s underground Carmelit railway. Major bus companies Egged, Dan and Metropolin are also taking part.Do the families of the hostages support the strike and the protests? Yes. “We call on the public to prepare to bring the country to a standstill,” said the Hostage and Missing Families Forum. “These six individuals were taken alive, endured the horrors of captivity, and were then coldly murdered … A deal for the return of the hostages has been on the table for over two months. Were it not for the delays, sabotage and excuses those whose deaths we learned about this morning would likely still be alive.”Who were the six hostages? Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Carmel Gat, 40; Alexander Lobanov, 33; Almog Sarusi, 27 and Ori Danino, 25.How has Netanyahu responded to their deaths? While Hamas has blamed Israel and the US because Israel had not agreed to a ceasefire deal, Netanyahu blamed the Islamist militant group for blocking an agreement. While it is too early to tell, the anger over the deaths could reinvigorate the protest movement in Israel calling for a ceasefire and hostage release deal, as well as calls for new elections aimed at toppling Netanyahu’s rightwing government.What was the AfD’s response? While the 11-year-old AfD clinched its first mayoral and district government posts last year, it has never joined a state government. Alice Weidel, the AfD’s co-leader, said: “It is a historic success for us. It is the first time we have become the strongest force in a state election. It is a requiem for this coalition [in Berlin].” Continue reading...
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