In the aftermath of the U.N. failing to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, Palestinian activists and social media influencers are calling for a global strike on Monday, Dec. 11.
The Palestinian National and Islamic Forces issued a call for the strike to include “all aspects of public life” for those across the West Bank, and the world.
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“We expect the entire globe to join the strike, which comes in the context of a broad international movement involving influential figures. This movement stands against the open genocide in Gaza, the ethnic cleansing and the colonial settlement in the West Bank,” the coalition said in a statment.
Many activists have also taken to social media to call others to join the strike.
“If the politicians do not hear us, then we can strike from economic life and daily movement, and we can boycott everything, we can put pressure on them to stop supporting and blessing the massacre that is happening in Gaza,” was written on a viral instagram post by Bisan Owda, a Gazan filmmaker with over 3 million followers. The post has 769,000 likes so far.
In the West Bank, which is under military occupation by Israeli forces, nearly all commercial activity has shut down, including in East Jerusalem. In addition to shutting down stores, nearly all schools from elementary school to university have also closed. The Lebanese government also announced that it would shut down all government offices and institutions in support of the strike.
Since the Oct. 7 attack in Israel by Hamas, the Israel-Hamas war has killed over 17,700 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, and 1,300 Israelis. An additional 248 hostages were also taken, of which 110 have been released as part of previous temporary ceasefire agreements.
Support for the strike has united Palestinians across multiple political factions, including both secular and Islamic parties.
Muwafaq Sahwil, secretary of Fatah (the most prominent secular Palestinian political party) in Ramallah and el-Bireh, said that the strike is directly addressing the U.S. veto of the ceasefire U.N. security council resolution on Dec. 8.
“This is a message to the U.S. administration that stands against the aspirations of our people,” Sahwil told Al Jazeera.
Robert Wood, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Washington would not support a ceasefire because it would strengthen Hamas.
“This is not only unrealistic but dangerous, it would simply leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did on October 7,” said Wood after the vote.
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