On April 7, shuttered shopfronts dotted the empty streets of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank as Palestinians observed a general strike, calling for an end to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
“I walked through the city today and couldn’t find a single open place,” said Fadi Saadi, a shopkeeper in Bethlehem.
Across the West Bank, a region under Israeli occupation since 1967, shops, schools, and the majority of public administrative offices were shuttered.
A coalition of Palestinian political movements, comprising rivals Fatah and Hamas, has initiated a strike to protest what they characterize as “the genocide and the ongoing massacre of our people.”
The call for the strike extended to “all the occupied Palestinian territories, in the refugee camps… and among those who support our cause.”
On March 18, Israel renewed its air strikes on Gaza, marking the conclusion of a ceasefire with Hamas that had lasted nearly two months. Since the resumption of its military offensive, Israel has seen a daily toll of fatalities among Palestinians, with dozens reported killed.
Imad Salman, 68, the proprietor of a souvenir shop in Jerusalem’s Old City, expressed that the closure is dedicated to “our family in Gaza, our children in Gaza.”
He stated, “In Jerusalem and the West Bank, our current actions represent the extent of what we can accomplish here.”
In the Israeli-annexed region of east Jerusalem, the typically vibrant Salaheddin Street was notably deserted.
“This strike expresses solidarity with Gaza and the ongoing situation there, as well as the conflict being directed against the Palestinian people, whether by [US President Donald] Trump, [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, the Israeli government, or the American government,” stated Ahmed, who requested to remain anonymous.
“The ongoing conflict must end; the violence and devastation must cease, and peace should be the ultimate goal — peace, and nothing less than peace.”
Cease the bloodshed.
A rally is scheduled for April 7 in the heart of Ramallah, the Palestinian Authority’s administrative center.
“This time, the strike is serious, and the population’s commitment is significant because Israeli aggression now affects all Palestinian households, whether in the West Bank or Gaza,” stated Issam Baker, a community organizer based in Ramallah.
“A security source from the Palestinian Authority, which holds partial administrative control in the territory, reported a notable display of total commitment in support of the strike today across the West Bank. This level of mobilization has not been witnessed since October 7, 2023, the onset of the Gaza war.”
In the wake of the Gaza war, there has been a significant increase in violence throughout the West Bank.
According to figures released by the health ministry, Israeli troops or settlers have been responsible for the deaths of at least 918 Palestinians, including militants, in the territory since that time.
Official figures indicate that Palestinian attacks and clashes during military raids have resulted in the deaths of at least 33 Israelis, including soldiers, in the same timeframe.
On April 7, protests unfolded in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, as dozens of students congregated in front of the Lebanese American University, rallying around a large Palestinian flag.
In Sidon, located in southern Lebanon, hundreds took to the streets to voice their demands, chanting phrases such as “Stop the massacres against the Palestinian people” and “Stop the war of extermination in Gaza.”
In the capital of Tunisia, hundreds of students gathered in front of the French embassy to show their support for Palestinians, coinciding with French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Cairo for discussions regarding Gaza.
