Nationwide strikes erupt in Israel amid cease-fire deal protests

Protests have spilled into Israel’s streets, as the Jewish state braces for a nationwide strike amid mounting pressure on the administration of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to broker a cease-fire deal with Hamas and return hostages from the Gaza Strip.

Arnon Bar-David — the head of Israel’s biggest union Histadrut that represents hundreds of thousands of workers in areas including health care and banking — called for a general strike across Israel’s economy on Monday, the organization said on social media, amid a swelling wave of national frustration over the perceived failure of Netanyahu’s government to clinch a deal and bring captive loved ones back home.

“It is impossible to stand in front of the cries of our children who are being murdered in the tunnels in Gaza, this is unacceptable,” Bar-David said, according to a Google translation.

Peter Lerner, director general of the international relations division at Histadrut, told CNBC’s Dan Murphy that the industrial action began as of 6 a.m. local time in Israel on Monday affecting the private and public sector in regions spanning from Beersheba in the south up to Haifa in the north, and also impacting the port of Haifa and Israel’s main international airport, Ben Gurion.

“Clearly, the impact of the war on the economy of Israel is devastating. We are worried for the jobs of the workers and obviously where the government is leading us,” he said, adding that the discovery of the bodies of further hostages had triggered “serious concerns” about the ongoing negotiations to secure the freedom of the remaining captives.

“We have a very clear perspective that people need to come first. That is what we do in our union work, and that’s what we expect from the government to do in bringing home the hostages,” Lerner said.

Israel’s Manufacturers’ Association endorsed the movement, with President Ron Tomer saying, “Too long we have been waiting for the right deal – it’s time to bring the kidnapped home. The government must ensure that it does everything, for the return of the kidnapped as soon as possible, also under the restrictions of a limited cease-fire. We call on all businesses in Israel to act so.”

Several municipalities and councils have declared support for the demonstrations.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the action and on Sunday asked the country’s attorney general to urgently petition the court…