Families of hostages, fallen soldiers & Oct 7 victims call general strike against Israel’s Gaza War expansion

On Sunday, a coalition of groups representing families of hostages, fallen IDF soldiers, and victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 invasion called for a general strike to begin in one week, protesting the government’s decision to expand the war in Gaza.

The strike was called by the October Council, a group representing families affected in various ways by the Hamas massacre in October 2023.

However, Israel’s Histadrut Labor Union will not take part, and it is unclear whether the largest hostage family group, the “Hostages and Missing Families Forum,” will declare its support.

Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David scheduled a meeting with families of hostages on Monday, after they asked him to join the strike.

Spokesman Yaniv Levy told Ynet News, “At this stage, Arnon believes that a strike can’t help the campaign and the families’ pain,” adding it would “not serve the purpose.”

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said the call to “shut down the economy is justified and worthy. We will continue to stand by their side.”

Yair Golan, chairman of the left-wing "The Democrats" party, declared support for the strike, saying, “I call on all Israeli citizens, everyone who holds the value of life and mutual responsibility dear, to strike with us and take to the streets, to fight and disrupt. We cannot continue with routine life in the face of abandoning our brothers and sisters in Gaza. We cannot remain silent in the face of this reality.”

Representatives of the October Coalition urged private firms, workers’ union, organizations and the general public to grind the economy to a halt to “save the lives of the hostages and soldiers and prevent further families from joining the bereaved” by averting the planned operation to take over the rest of the Gaza Strip, which, it argues, endangers the lives of the remaining Israeli hostages.

“We will all pause next Sunday and say, ‘Enough, stop the war, return the hostages.’ It is in our hands,” said Reut Recht-Edri, who lost her son Ido in the Hamas massacre at the Nova Festival.

Another hostage family initiative addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, ahead of a scheduled press conference regarding his decision to expand the fighting.

“We are fed up with meaningless headlines and empty slogans,” several hostage family representatives said, calling on the prime minister to declare his “commitment to a comprehensive agreement for the return of the 50 hostages and the end of the war. Meet with us – we are waiting for answers.”

Michael Iluz, father of Guy Iluz, who was murdered in Hamas captivity, asked Netanyahu, “How can you promise me that you’re not digging under my son’s body? How can you promise me that the tanks won’t destroy my chance to be reunited with my son?”

Yotam Cohen, brother of kidnapped soldier Nimrod Cohen, charged that Netanyahu had promised that “Operation Gideon’s Chariots was the missing piece to bring down Hamas and return all the hostages. Six months later, the Israeli public sees that the operation has failed.”

“Not only have all the hostages not returned – we find ourselves in the same exact place, only with more casualties. When will you, as Prime Minister of Israel, go out to the public and say, ‘I failed, the directive failed’?”

Danny Miran, father of hostage Omri, asked, “You claim Hamas is not interested in a deal. Are you willing to declare here that you would agree to a deal for the return of all the hostages in exchange for ending the war and withdrawing from the Gaza Strip? I propose we put Hamas’ demands to the test – once and for all.”