Several countries joined a general strike on Monday in protest against Israel’s ongoing assault on the besieged Gaza Strip, heeding calls from Palestinian national and Islamic forces.
Organisers urged a “comprehensive strike across all spheres of life in all occupied Palestinian territories and the diaspora”, aiming to spotlight what they called “horrific massacres and crimes” committed by Israeli forces in Gaza, as well as efforts to systematically displace Palestinians.
In the occupied West Bank, life ground to a halt on Monday. Shops and businesses were shuttered, schools closed, and public transportation came to a complete standstill. Government offices, banks, and private institutions also remained closed, with preparations under way for mass protest marches.
Issam Bakr, a member of the Palestinian Factions Coordination Committee, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister outlet, that the strike sent a powerful message of global solidarity.
“The general strike called for in Europe and around the world is in solidarity with the Palestinian people and a rejection of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza,” Bakr said.
“This is a day for action, not sitting at home,” he added. “There will be events and demonstrations in city centres across the West Bank, the Arab world, and globally, sending a clear message that the world must act to protect the Palestinians.”
In Nazareth, dozens of residents and political activists joined a peaceful protest, waving Palestinian flags and holding banners demanding an end to the war. Police were deployed at the scene, with further protests expected in Ramallah and other cities later in the day.
Major Palestinian political movements, including Fatah and Hamas, voiced their support for the strike, citing Israel’s renewed attacks after breaking the ceasefire on 18 March.
A global call for Gaza
The strike extended beyond Palestine. Parts of Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, and Bangladesh joined the global day of action.
In Bangladesh, several universities – including Dhaka University, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, and Rajshahi University – held strikes and protests.
In a statement, Rajshahi University condemned the “ongoing indiscriminate killings and unbearable humanitarian crisis in Gaza”, calling on the international community to “take immediate and effective steps to bring an end to the barbaric violence and ensure the protection of all civilians”.
In Lebanon, students at the prestigous American University of Beirut (AUB) protested outside campus buildings, waving Palestinian flags and holding a banner that read: “Boycott genocide supporters”.
In Turkey’s Konya, shop owners joined the strike by hanging posters outside their businesses announcing closures in solidarity with Gaza.
The global strike comes amid Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza, including repeated attacks on journalists documenting the war’s devastation. According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, more than 61,700 Palestinians have been killed in the Strip since 7 October 2023.
Despite mounting international pressure, including arrest warrants issued last November by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity, Israel has pledged to intensify its assault.
