A call for a general strike in Israel to protest the failure to return hostages held in Gaza has led to closures and other disruptions around the country, including at its main international airport. But the call was being ignored in some areas on Monday, reflecting deep political divisions.
Tens of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets late Sunday in grief and anger after six hostages were found dead in Gaza. The families and much of the public blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they could have been returned alive in a deal with Hamas to end the nearly 11-month-old war.
But others support Netanyahu’s strategy of maintaining relentless military pressure on Hamas, whose Oct. 7 attack into Israel triggered the war. They say it will eventually force the militants to give in to Israeli demands, potentially lead to more successful rescues and ultimately annihilate the group.
Israel’s largest trade union, the Histadrut, called for a general strike for Monday, the first since the start of the war. It aims to shut down or disrupt major sectors of the economy, including banking, health care and the country’s main airport.
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Projectiles strike a ship in the Red Sea in a suspected Yemen rebel attack, officials say
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the Red Sea on Monday, authorities said.
Two projectiles hit the vessel, and a third explosion occurred near the ship, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.
“Damage control is underway,” UKMTO said. “There are no casualties onboard and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call.”
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack. However, it can take the rebels hours or even days to acknowledge their assaults.
The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a United States-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets.
The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the U.K. to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
Large-scale polio vaccinations begin in war-ravaged Gaza after first case in 25 years
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian health authorities and United Nations agencies on Sunday began a large-scale campaign of vaccinations against polio in the Gaza Strip, hoping to prevent an outbreak in the territory that has been ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war.
Authorities plan to vaccinate children in central Gaza until Wednesday before moving on to the more devastated northern and southern parts of the strip. The campaign began with a small number of vaccinations on Saturday and aims to reach about 640,000 children.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said more than 72,600 children received vaccines Sunday.
The World Health Organization has said Israel agreed to limited pauses in the fighting to facilitate the campaign. There were initial reports of Israeli strikes in central Gaza early Sunday, but it was not immediately known if anyone was killed or wounded. The pause ended Sunday afternoon, according to a schedule released by Israel.
Israel has said the vaccination program will continue through Sept. 9 and last eight hours a day.
Gaza recently reported its first polio case in 25 years — a 10-month-old boy, now paralyzed in a leg. The World Health Organization says the presence of a paralysis case indicates there could be hundreds more who have been infected but aren’t showing symptoms.