Coalition lawmakers blasted the general strike on Sunday called by the families of hostages and supported by a wide array of companies and organizations, claiming that it only benefits Israel’s enemies.

“The nation of Israel is waking up this morning to a bad and damaging campaign that plays into Hamas’s hands, buries the hostages in the tunnels and tries to make Israel surrender to its enemies,” far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted on X.

The strike and day of protests was organized after the security cabinet earlier this month approved a plan to conquer Gaza City, despite warnings from military officials that the operation would risk the lives of the remaining hostages. The decision was also seen as dealing a major blow to any efforts to reach a deal with Hamas for a ceasefire and hostage release.

Smotrich claimed on Sunday that the strike fell short of the hype that was built up over the past week.

“The campaign has not taken off and involves very few people,” he wrote. “The State of Israel is not standing still and not striking.”

Protests are slated for several hundred locations across Israel throughout the day, and activists blocked a number of major highways Sunday morning with the start of the demonstrations. Hundreds of local authorities, businesses, universities, tech companies and other organizations announced that they would join the strike or allow employees to join if they wished to, although the Histadrut, the main labor union, said it would not take part.

Smotrich, who vocally favors Israeli annexation of Gaza and the reestablishment of........

© The Times of Israel