Palestinians call for a general strike in solidarity with the people of Gaza, following the Israeli attack on the safe zone that killed at least 90 people.
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank observe a general strike in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza, denouncing Saturday’s attack on a designated safe zone of al-Mawasi that killed at least 90 people and injured about 300 others.
Most West Bank cities joined the general strike on Sunday against Israel’s airstrike on the refugee camp west of Khan Younis. Palestinians also protested on Saturday night in the cities of Jenin, Hebron and Tubas to condemn the devastating war.
Local Palestinian social media accounts shared videos on Sunday morning showing stores closing in Jenin, the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, and Tulkarem in response to calls to strike.
#شاهد | إضراب في مدينة جنين تنديدا بمجزرتي الاحتلال في خان ونس ومخيم ئ. pic.twitter.com/lOp3VgaPxw
— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) July 14, 2024
Translation: A strike in the city of Jenin to denounce the occupation massacres in Khan Younis and the Shati camp.
Reporting from Ramallah, Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh said Palestinians feel this is “the least” they can do “to express solidarity, to feel like they are doing something to support their fellow Palestinians in Gaza while feeling defenseless,” while at least least at the same time, “confronting” the Israeli attacks imposed on several cities in the occupied West Bank since October 7th.
“This reality of the occupation and the relentless war that takes place in Gaza, [as well as] The attacks and demolitions of houses and confiscation of land taking place here in the West Bank are bringing this expression of solidarity full circle,” said Odeh, adding that, beyond sentiment, the attacks are unlikely to have any effect.
Anger at ‘fractured politics’
In addition to expressing their anger over the war in Gaza, Palestinians also express frustration over their fractured politics, Odeh said.
“In Ramallah, for example, Palestinian factions were unable to agree to join the general strike, while the same factions in other cities agreed to this minimum.”
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported on Sunday that at least 38,584 Palestinians had been killed and 88,881 injured in Israel’s war in the enclave.
Meanwhile, violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, which had been rising even before Israel’s war on Gaza began in October, has intensified dramatically in recent months. The increase in Israeli military attacks on Palestinian groups, the expansion of settlements and violent attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages have attracted a response from Palestinian armed groups in the occupied territory.
The Palestinian Prisoners Society reported on Sunday that Israeli soldiers had arrested 30 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank over the past two days. Israel has arrested nearly 10,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in almost daily raids.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
