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A Jerusalem court cut short a massive strike and ordered tens of thousands of Israelis back to work Monday, ending the short-lived but powerful work stoppage that cast a spotlight on the political divisions and growing anger in the country after the weekend deaths of six Israeli hostages held by the terrorist group Hamas.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets Sunday and Monday to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the hostage crisis, which has dragged on for nearly 11 months. Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel killed more than 1,200 Israelis and resulted in the taking of more than 250 hostages.
The massive protests, coupled with Monday’s strike, put a fresh wave of pressure on Mr. Netanyahu at a pivotal moment in the Israel-Hamas war and his political future.
About 100 Israeli hostages are still thought to be held by Hamas, though several dozen are likely dead, Israeli officials have said.
The deaths of the six hostages over the weekend, including Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, sparked an unprecedented round of demonstrations in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities across the country.
SEE ALSO: ‘Take to the streets’: Anger toward Netanyahu hits fever pitch after 6 hostages found dead
Funeral services for Mr. Goldberg-Polin were held Monday at Jerusalem’s Har HaMenuchot cemetery. His death, and the deaths of the five other hostages, has added fresh fuel to calls for Mr. Netanyahu’s government to make a peace deal with Hamas that would bring the remaining hostages home in exchange for a pause in the fighting in Gaza.
President Biden and other world leaders reiterated their support for a cease-fire deal Sunday while condemning Hamas for apparently killing the six hostages in cold blood just before Israeli troops reached the spot where they were held, reportedly inside a tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Major labor unions, medical organizations and other workers groups called for a full general strike across Israel on Monday. Although some parts of the country ignored the call, the strike lasted for several hours. It reportedly slowed sectors of the economy in major metropolitan centers. Schools, airports, shops and hospitals experienced significant slowdowns.
At 2:30 p.m., the Jerusalem-based National Labor Court granted the government’s petition to end the strike. Labor leaders said they would abide by the court’s decision.
“We live in a country of law and respect the court’s decision; therefore, I instruct everyone to return to work at 2:30 p.m.,” said Arnon Bar-David, chairman of the leading Histadrut trade union, according to Reuters.
Mr. Netanyahu was reportedly furious about the strike. Israel’s Ynet news site, citing sources who were inside a weekly Cabinet meeting, reported that Mr. Netanyahu called the strike a “disgrace.” Yet he apologized to the families of the slain hostages, reflecting the delicate political tightrope he is trying to walk.
SEE ALSO: WATCH: Hersh Goldberg-Polin laid to rest in Jerusalem
“I told the families, and I repeat it here tonight: I ask for your forgiveness that we did not succeed in bringing them back alive,” he said Monday at a news conference, according to Israeli media.
“We were close, but we didn’t succeed,” Mr. Netanyahu said.
A day earlier, the Israeli leader insisted that he wanted a cease-fire deal but that Hamas did not.
“In recent days, as Israel has been holding intensive negotiations with the mediator in a supreme effort to reach a deal, Hamas is continuing to steadfastly refuse all proposals. Even worse, at the exact same time, it murdered six of our hostages,” he said Sunday. “Whoever murders hostages does not want a deal.
“For our part, we will not relent. The government of Israel is committed, and I am personally committed, to continue striving toward a deal that will return all of our hostages and ensure our security and our existence,” Mr. Netanyahu said.
In a statement Sunday, Mr. Biden pressed for a cease-fire deal but blasted Hamas for its apparent actions. He also expressed condolences for the death of Mr. Goldberg-Polin.
“I have worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Hersh safely to them and am heartbroken by the news of his death. It is as tragic as it is reprehensible,” Mr. Biden said. “Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.”
The Israeli army over the weekend identified other dead hostages as Ori Danino, 25; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 27; and Alexander Lobanov, 33. Like Mr. Goldberg-Polin, they were abducted from an Israeli music festival by Hamas gunmen on Oct. 7. The sixth hostage, Carmel Gat, 40, was abducted from the nearby farming community of Be’eri.
Israeli troops have rescued some of the hostages held by Hamas. Others were freed during brief cease-fires in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Hamas has offered to release all of the remaining hostages in return for a complete end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of more Palestinian prisoners.
Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said the six hostages would still be alive had Israel agreed to a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal that Hamas said it accepted in July, The Associated Press reported Sunday.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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