Shuttered storefronts and deserted streets marked a day of sweeping protest across the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem on Monday, as Palestinians launched a general strike demanding an end to the war in Gaza.
“I walked through the city today and couldn’t find a single place that was open,” said Fadi Saadi, a shopkeeper in Bethlehem, in an interview with AFP.
Shops, schools, and public offices were widely closed in response to the strike, which was called by a coalition of Palestinian political factions — including longtime rivals Fatah and Hamas. Organizers urged solidarity “in all the occupied Palestinian territories, in the refugee camps… and among those who support our cause,” denouncing what they described as “the genocide and the ongoing massacre of our people.”
The strike comes amid a resurgence of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, which resumed on March 18 after a nearly two-month ceasefire with Hamas. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed daily since the offensive restarted.
“We close today about our family in Gaza, our children in Gaza,” said 68-year-old souvenir shop owner Imad Salman from Jerusalem’s Old City. “In Jerusalem, in the West Bank, we can’t do something more than what we’re doing here now,” he told AFP.
In East Jerusalem’s usually bustling Salaheddin Street, silence prevailed. “This strike is in solidarity with Gaza and what is happening there… this war must stop, the killing and destruction must stop,” said a resident named Ahmed, who declined to give his surname. “Only peace should prevail — peace, and nothing but peace.”
A major rally was planned for Monday in central Ramallah, home to the Palestinian Authority’s headquarters.
“This time, the strike is serious, and the population’s commitment is significant because Israeli aggression now affects all Palestinian households,” said Issam Baker, a community organizer in Ramallah. A Palestinian Authority security official echoed that sentiment, noting, “We have seen total commitment in support of the strike today throughout the West Bank, which has not happened since October 7.”
Since the war in Gaza began, violence has surged in the West Bank. According to the Palestinian health ministry, at least 918 Palestinians — including militants — have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers. In the same period, Israeli officials report that at least 33 Israelis, including soldiers, have died in clashes or attacks during military operations.
