By: Chaya Abecassis

On Sunday, Israel will once again find itself at the crossroads of anguish and political confrontation, as families of hostages still held in Gaza prepare to launch a general strike intended to paralyze large parts of public life. The initiative, reported on Saturday by i24 News, seeks to force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government into agreeing to a ceasefire deal with Hamas that could secure the release of their loved ones.

The planned strike, according to organizers, is not merely a symbolic gesture but a coordinated national shutdown. “We are shutting down the country to save the soldiers and the hostages,” declared the October 7 Council, a coalition of bereaved families of those kidnapped, slain, or lost in battle since Hamas’s attack on Israel nearly a year ago.

Israeli officials now estimate that 50 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom approximately 20 are believed to be alive. For the families, time is running out—and the government’s indecision, as they see it, has become intolerable.

The strike’s architects are not limiting themselves to petitions or candlelight vigils. Instead, they are attempting to leverage Israel’s social and economic machinery to bring maximum pressure upon Netanyahu’s fragile governing coalition.

According to the information provided in the i24 News report, businesses across the country—from small shops to larger chains—have pledged to close their doors in solidarity with the hostages’ families. At the same time, some of Israel’s most prestigious academic institutions, including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University, announced that they would formally support the protest action.

In a letter to students and faculty, the leadership of Hebrew University wrote: “We, the members of the university’s leadership, deans, and department heads, hereby announce that on Sunday, each and every one of us will participate in a personal strike as a profound expression of solidarity with the hostage families.”

This decision, hailed by i24 News as a watershed moment in the hostage crisis, emphasizes how deeply the issue has penetrated every layer of Israeli civil society, from business and academia to grassroots activism.

While many sectors of society have embraced the call, Israel’s largest labor federation, the Histadrut, has declined to participate. The Histadrut’s refusal to join the general strike underscores both the complexity of the political moment and the fractures within Israeli society over how best to respond to Hamas’s continued detention of hostages.

As the i24 News report highlighted, the Histadrut wields enormous economic influence, and its decision to abstain may blunt the potential impact of the strike. Nonetheless, organizers insist that the absence of the federation will not derail their efforts. “This is a strike of conscience, not just commerce,” one activist told the outlet. “It is about forcing the government to face the consequences of delay.”

The strike will begin at 6:29 AM, a time chosen with precision to mark the moment the Hamas assault on Israel commenced on October 7, 2023. The first gathering will be held at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, which has become a national focal point for vigils, demonstrations, and outpourings of grief.

From there, demonstrators plan to spread to dozens of traffic intersections across the country, deliberately creating gridlock to underscore their message of national urgency. i24 News reported that the protests will be accompanied by installations, performances, and speeches designed to remind the public of the hostages’ plight and the heavy toll the war has exacted.

The hostage families, united under banners such as the October 7 Council, have emerged as Israel’s moral conscience in the conflict. Their grief has lent urgency and visibility to calls for a ceasefire, but also created friction with Netanyahu’s government, which has been reluctant to make concessions to Hamas that might be perceived as undermining Israel’s security.

i24 News has chronicled how these families—many of whom lost relatives in the initial massacre or during subsequent military campaigns—have shifted from private mourning to public mobilization. “We cannot move forward as a country while our loved ones remain in Gaza,” one spokesperson said during a televised address carried by the network.

The families argue that every day without an agreement diminishes the chances of survival for those still alive. Their determination has resonated with broad swaths of the population, even as it exposes painful divisions about strategy, leadership, and national priorities.

Prime Minister Netanyahu faces one of the most politically fraught dilemmas of his long career. On one hand, agreeing to a deal with Hamas could secure the release of Israeli captives, restoring a measure of calm to a society torn by grief. On the other, it risks emboldening Hamas and could fracture his fragile coalition, many of whom oppose concessions outright.

According to the information contained in the i24 News report, Netanyahu’s government has been wary of appearing to bow to pressure, insisting that any ceasefire or exchange must not undermine Israel’s security position or reward Hamas for terrorism. Officials close to the prime minister have privately expressed concern that striking a deal could lead to further demands or escalate the conflict in new directions.

For Netanyahu, the hostage crisis is not just a humanitarian tragedy but a test of leadership that could define his legacy. Critics accuse him of dithering, while supporters argue he must weigh every option carefully in the face of existential threats.

The hostage issue has exacerbated an already volatile national climate. Protests against the government’s handling of the war have grown more frequent, with demonstrators demanding not only a hostage deal but also Netanyahu’s resignation.

As the i24 News report observed, the upcoming strike threatens to intensify these pressures, potentially creating a showdown between the government and broad segments of the population. While public opinion remains divided, there is mounting evidence of frustration with the slow pace of negotiations and the perception that political calculations are taking precedence over human lives.

The involvement of major universities lends significant moral weight to the strike. For Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University to shut down in protest is virtually unprecedented, reflecting the depth of national distress.

Students and faculty members plan to hold teach-ins, memorials, and forums across campuses, seeking to reframe the hostage crisis not only as a matter of national security but as a fundamental question of morality and identity. “Education is meaningless if we cannot protect life,” one professor told the network.

The universities’ move could inspire additional institutions, including cultural organizations and local municipalities, to join the strike in the coming days.

Every aspect of the strike is suffused with the memory of October 7, the day Hamas militants launched their unprecedented assault on southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and abducting hundreds into Gaza. The trauma of that day reverberates in every protest, every vigil, and every demand for action.

The report at i24 News described how the families’ activism is both a commemoration of those lost and a plea for those still alive. The timing of the strike—anchored to the precise moment the attack began—reinforces the collective determination that October 7 will not be forgotten, nor its consequences ignored.

Whether the strike will succeed in moving Netanyahu’s government remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the families of the hostages have transformed their grief into a potent political force. With or without the Histadrut, with or without the cooperation of all sectors, the strike promises to test the resilience of Israel’s leadership and the patience of its citizens.

The question is no longer whether the hostages’ plight will shape Israel’s political agenda, but how profoundly it will alter the trajectory of the war and the nation itself.

The call for a general strike represents more than an act of protest—it is a national reckoning. By halting commerce, education, and traffic, the families of the hostages seek to halt the government’s inaction as well. They demand not only the return of their loved ones but a reaffirmation of Israel’s moral compass.