A GLOBAL strike prevailed in several Arab and Muslim cities around the world on Monday in condemnation of the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
Over the past days, activists on social media platforms launched calls for a general strike around the world in solidarity with the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip in the face of the Israeli hideous aggression.
The campaigners said that the global strike aims to put pressure on governments to take decisive measures to stop the ongoing Israeli massacres and genocide in Gaza.
Instructions on how to participate in the global strike have been circulated on social media platforms, telling participants to follow certain steps like refraining from going to work centres, schools, and universities, closing shops in commercial centres, stop shopping, stop using cars or using bank cards.
The West Bank
The general strike spread throughout the governorates of the occupied West Bank as part of a global movement calling for a global strike around the world in solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian people and in condemnation of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip for 66 days.
The strike paralysed all aspects of life in the West bank that was launched by National and Islamic forces.
Transportation was disrupted in all provinces of the West Bank, while institutions, universities, banks, schools, ministries, and shops shut their doors, and the local stock market was suspended as well, amid popular calls for continuing pro-Gaza events and confrontations with Israeli occupation forces in all regions, streets, and squares.
Complete and partial participation
In Istanbul, Turkey, educational, commercial and cultural institutions, ranging from schools to publishing houses and restaurants in several areas, participated partially in the #StrikeForGaza campaign, with the participation of Arab communities, especially Egyptians, Syrians, Palestinians, and Yemenis.
According to circulating video clips and pictures, participants in the strike assured their institutions that their participation is aimed to support Gaza, and to send their voice to the ‘silent’ world.
In Tunisia, thousands of teachers embarked on a two-hour strike in all schools, while dozens of students demonstrated on Habib Bourguiba Street in the capital.
Nabil Al-Hawashi, secretary-general of the General University for Basic Education (Teachers Syndicate), said: ‘Today (Monday) we carried out a general strike for two hours, as part of the global strike decision in solidarity with Gaza.’
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, he added: ‘With this strike, we are putting pressure on global decision-makers to review their unconditional support for the Zionist entity, which practises bad actions that are not accepted by humanitarian law, nor by international and humanitarian norms.’
Empty streets
As for the city of Jerusalem, a general strike prevailed throughout the holy city in response to the calls for the general strike. Shops as well as schools and educational institutes, were closed in East Jerusalem.
The streets seemed almost empty of citizens, while Israeli police were deployed across the city, especially around the Old City and its alleys.
On Sunday, Palestinian unions, federations, banks, factions, and companies announced in separate statements that they were joining the general strike in the West Bank.
A remarkable response in Arab countries
The call for the global strike witnessed widespread interaction in many private sectors in Jordan, with a remarkable response from the capital, Amman, and a number of other governorates and Palestinian refugee camps.
Large numbers of shops closed their doors, and banners were demonstrated and hung in solidarity with Gaza. Many private companies participated in the strike as well.
The noticeable decline in traffic and the number of students heading to schools and universities demonstrated the level of response to the strike, while the hashtag ‘general strike’ topped the list of most popular hashtags on the X platform in Jordan.
Campaigners monitored photos of some of the Kingdom’s streets and the courtyards of private and public universities, while being almost empty.
Mauritania
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Mauritania announced the postponement of all classes and tests scheduled for Monday, in order to take part in events organised in solidarity with the Gaza Strip.
The General Union of Mauritanian Students and the Mauritanian Student Gathering in Support of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa called on the students of the University of Nouakchott to participate in the general strike in order to put an end to the genocide committed by the Israeli occupation army against the civilians in the Gaza Strip.
A group of Mauritanian civil society organisations also called for participation in the strike in protest against the ongoing Israeli bloody aggression on the blockaded enclave.
Formal position
On Monday, Lebanon adhered to global calls for the general strike in support of the Gaza Strip. Traffic stopped completely in the streets of the capital city of Beirut, and other Lebanese cities.
Governmental and private institutions shut their doors, and movement was blocked completely in the streets of Beirut and other Lebanese cities, in compliance with the government’s decision to join the strike in solidarity with Gaza, the Palestinian people, and the southern Lebanese villages.
The movement of hashtags
The call for a general global strike was first sparked by social media platforms, where it was launched by activists from around the world under the hashtag ‘StrikeForGaza’.
Throughout the day on Monday, the hashtag ‘#general-Strike’ topped the list of most trending hashtags on the ‘X’ platform in Jordan similar to other hashtags in Arab countries, including Egypt.
Support and approval
Numerous governmental and popular statements were issued throughout the Arab countries calling for participation in the global strike, including the government of Lebanon.
On Sunday, the Lebanese Council of Ministers announced the closure of all departments and institutions in the country on Monday ‘in solidarity with Gaza, the Palestinian people, and the southern Lebanese villages in response to the global call for Gaza.’
Among the most prominent unofficial statements was the statement issued by the International Union of Muslim Scholars, on Sunday night, in support of the global strike for Gaza.
The union said in a statement: ‘We call on Muslims and people of good conscience to participate strongly in a general global strike on Monday for the purpose of halting the war on Gaza.’
Several other countries, including Morocco, Qatar, Iraq, and European countries, also witnessed individual participation in the strike by some activists and owners of private companies and shops, who announced the closure of their companies and the suspension of their services for this day in solidarity with Gaza.
The call for a global strike comes just days after the UN Security Council failed to adopt a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as the United States used its veto right to ban the resolution, which got the approval of 13 of the Council’s 15 members, with the United Kingdom abstaining from voting.
Protests spread throughout Western capitals
Meanwhile, in light of the persisting calls for the general strike in solidarity with Gaza, demonstrations and protests took place in a number of European capitals, denouncing the continued brutal aggression against Gaza, and demanding an end to the war, the opening of the crossings, and allowing the entry of humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip.Hamas fighters capture an Israeli tank during Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on October 7th
