In Pictures

Gallery|Israel-Palestine conflict

In Pictures: In show of unity, Palestinians go on strike

People across occupied West Bank, Gaza and inside Israel take part in collective action to protest against occupation and Gaza bombardment.

A man smokes near closed shops at a market in Jerusalem's old city, during a general strike called by Palestinians [Ammar Awad/Reuters]
Published On 18 May 2021

Shops were shuttered across cities in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and in villages and towns inside Israel as Palestinians observed a general strike to protest against occupation and Israel’s ongoing bombardment of the blockaded enclave.

The strike, which is supported by Hamas, the group running Gaza, and Fatah, the ruling party of the Palestinian Authority, led to the suspension of all economic activity and closure of educational institutions.

“It’s the first time in decades that we see Palestinians across the political divide take part in such a general strike,” said Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Ramallah.

At least 212 Palestinians, including 61 children, have been killed and 1,500 wounded since Israel began its offensive on Gaza on May 10. Ten people in Israel have also died, including two children, in rocket attacks from Gaza.

Hamas said the rockets were fired in retaliation for plans of the forced expulsion of Palestinians from occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Israeli forces have also killed at least 21 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since last week.

Palestinians across occupied East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and inside Israel staged a general strike on Tuesday. [Majdi Mohammed/AP Photo]
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Palestinians chant slogans during an anti-occupation demonstration during a general strike in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. [Nasser Nasser/AP Photo]
Palestinian citizens of Israel make up about 20 percent of the country's population. [Majdi Mohammed/AP Photo]
Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from East Jerusalem, said the "overarching" theme of the strike was to protest against occupation. "People here say they are horrified of what they see happening in Gaza, the images of women and children running for safety while the area is bombarded, but they are also protesting against what is happening here, the aggression of the Israeli police in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the threatened eviction of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah." [Ammar Awad/Reuters]
A demonstrator holds a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's actions in the occupied territories, in Hebron, Israeli-occupied West Bank. [Mussa Qawasma/Reuters]
Muhammad Barakeh, one of the organisers of the strike, said Palestinians are expressing a "collective position" against Israel's "aggression" in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as the "brutal repression" by police inside Israel. [Ammar Awad/Reuters]
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Salem Barahmeh, executive director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy, said "it is important to rise as one and try to transcend the forced fragmentation imposed on Palestinians by Israel." [Alaa Badarneh/EPA]
Barahmeh also told Al Jazeera that Palestinians on the streets and social media are shaking "Israel’s dominant and unchallenged narrative", exposing it as the "apartheid regime it is". [Abbas Momani/AFP]
Palestinians across the region observed a general strike as the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, now in its second week, showed no signs of abating. [Nasser Nasser/AP Photo]
Palestinian protesters say they want to disrupt commercial establishments and ultimately the entire Israeli economy in protest against the ongoing violence against them. [Abbas Momani/AFP]