West Bank and East Jerusalem on Strike Against Israeli Attacks

On Wednesday, businesses, institutions, and schools in West Bank and East Jerusalem closed in a general strike in protest of Israeli bombings in Gaza.

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"The strike spread across the West Bank governorates to denounce the ongoing Israeli aggression," WAFA reported, adding that demonstrations even led to clashes with the police of the Palestinian National Authority.

The strike was called in response to the massacre at Gaza's Al Ahli Hospital, which left hundreds dead and was committed by the Israeli military. However, in an attempt to evade responsibility, Israel accused the Islamic Jihad of a failed rocket launch toward the hospital.

People took to the streets in cities like Ramallah, Tulkarem, Hebron, Qalqilya, and Nablus, outraged by what happened at Al Ahli Hospital.

According to Gaza's Health Ministry, children, women, elderly, and civilian men seeking refuge in the hospital were killed in the face of heavy Israeli bombardments.

In East Jerusalem, shops also remained closed as a sign of mourning, although public protests by Palestinians are generally restricted by the stringent security measures implemented by the Israeli police.

Videos shared on social media showed hundreds of people protesting with Hamas flags in places like Hebron, while demonstrators in the West Bank demanded the removal of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

In recent years, Abbas has seen his popularity decline due to his cooperation with Israel in security and intelligence issues. This has led many Palestinians to perceive him as a puppet of Israel. At the same time, Hamas has experienced a surge in popularity.

So far, Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have left at least 3,478 dead and over 12,000 injured. In the last 12 days there has also been an increase in violence on the West Bank, where Israeli troops and settlers have murdered 62 Palestinians.

In addition, Israeli forces have launched a wide-ranging arrest campaign, detaining over 500 Palestinians in the West Bank in less than two weeks, many of whom are considered suspects of being affiliated with or belonging to Hamas.