iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
Lebanon's health ministry said at least 14 people died in the attack and the toll was expected to climb
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Israelis strike and protest to demand Gaza hostage deal
The demonstrators are demanding Netanyahu reach a ceasefire agreement with Hamas to bring the remaining hostages home
Families and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since October lift flags and placards during a rally calling for their release in Tel Aviv on Monday. AFP
Israeli protesters took to the streets for a second day on Monday and the largest trade union launched a general strike to press the government to reach a deal to return hostages still held by Hamas, after six more captives were found dead in Gaza.
The strike disrupted transport and medical services in several Israeli districts and many shops and businesses were closed after the head of the Histadrut union, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers, called for a general stoppage.
Policemen scuffle with protesters as families and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since October hold a rally calling for their release in Tel Aviv on Monday, amid the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian militant Hamas movement. AFP
The recovery of the six hostages, who were shot dead between 48-72 hours before being found by Israeli forces, according to the health ministry, triggered a wave of grief and fury in Israel, prompting at least half a million people to take to the streets in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Sunday.
The demonstrators are demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a ceasefire agreement with Palestinian militant group Hamas to bring the remaining hostages home.
On Monday, thousands again gathered in Tel Aviv, waving blue and white Israeli flags or holding photographs of the remaining 101 hostages aloft.
Professor Yehuda Ullmann, head of the surgery division at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, said strike action went against the grain of doctors dedicated to saving patients.
"But we are in a very, very hard situation now, we and all the country, because of the hostages. And yesterday it was maybe the hardest day," he said. "We can't stand aside and that's why we came into a strike."
Following an intervention by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's Labour Court ruled the general strike must end at 2:30 pm (1130 GMT), saying the strike had no economic basis and was largely political. Histadrut accepted the ruling.
"We live in a country of law and respect the court's decision, therefore I instruct everyone to return to work at 2:30 pm," Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David said, a day after he described the strike as "a cry for the return of the hostages."
Some services at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main air transport hub, were suspended in the morning, although incoming flights were still landing while bus and light rail services in many areas were either cancelled or only partially functioning.
Workers at Israel's main commercial port Haifa and some municipalities also went on strike.
Hospitals were only partially operating and banks were not working but many private sector businesses were open. The strike was backed by several employer groups including manufacturers and the high tech sector, and many employers were allowing staff to join the strike so many services were disrupted.
The strike and street demonstrations follow months of protests by families representing some of the hostages and underscore the deep divisions that have opened up in Israel over Netanyahu's approach to securing a ceasefire deal.
Despite pressure from his own defence minister as well as senior generals and intelligence officials, Netanyahu has insisted on maintaining Israeli troops in key points of the Gaza Strip after any ceasefire.
Hamas has rejected any Israeli presence and despite the efforts of Egyptian and Qatari diplomats and repeated visits to the region by senior US officials urging a deal, there has been no sign of a breakthrough in talks to halt the fighting and bring the hostages home.
More news from World
Among the failures identified were poor communication with local law enforcement, an over-reliance on mobile devices, and line of sight issues
Nine women serve as ministers, making up almost one third of the UAE cabinet, Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council said
White House national security spokesman John Kirby reiterated that the Biden administration is seeking to avoid an escalation in the region
A spokesperson for Brussels Airlines said it would need to cancel 80% of its 203 flights scheduled for the day
BFM TV reported that Barnier has proposed conservative Senator Bruno Retailleau as interior minister
The death toll from the storm which struck central and eastern Europe last week rose to 24 and some areas are still under threat from rising waters
Muslim backing of Democrats has fallen sharply since Israel's nearly year-long action in Gaza