Shops, banks, schools, government and private institutions in the West Bank closed their doors (Al Jazeera)

Ramallah - Paralysis pervaded all aspects of life in the West Bank, in compliance with the call of activists from around the world for a comprehensive strike - on Monday - in rejection of the aggression on Gaza and condemnation of the US veto against the cessation of aggression in the Security Council.

Since last Saturday, activists from around the world began calling for a "global strike" and a "global strike", and then Palestinian political forces and factions, trade unions and civil organizations continued to call for the strike, closing their doors, closing their doors.

Coinciding with the strike, the Palestinian forces and factions called for organizing sit-ins in Palestinian cities and villages, and escalating and clashing with the occupation army at contact points throughout the West Bank.

What is different about the current strike from its predecessors is that the call for it began outside the Palestinian territories, and then Palestine became part of it, which constituted a qualitative leap in the activities and activities of the forces in solidarity with the cause around the world.

The current strike began outside the Palestinian territories and then Palestine became part of it (Al Jazeera)

Global dimension

Fahmi Shaheen, a member of the political bureau of the Palestinian People's Party, said that the importance of today's strike is exceptional because of its global dimension, noting that "it came as a condemnation from the peoples and free people of the world and solidarity movements that can no longer tolerate this ugliness, open war crimes and genocide against the Palestinian person, specifically in the Gaza Strip."

According to Shaheen, what the Israeli occupation state is waging is "an Israeli-American aggression par excellence, in management, implementation and supervision."

He told Al Jazeera Net that the strike also comes "to condemn the American insistence on not a ceasefire through the use of the veto (veto) against the ceasefire last Friday, which means giving the occupation the green light to continue to slaughter the Palestinian people."

On the importance of the strike in its global dimension, Shaheen said that "the strike delivers an immediate message to the international community, the United States and its Western allies, and holds them responsible for these crimes."

The Palestinian politician predicted "a positive impact of the strike by pressuring governments in America and Western Europe to intervene in order to lift the lid on this criminal aggression."

Sit-ins and clashes

Issam Abu Bakr, coordinator of political forces in Ramallah, said, "The strike comes after the silence and failure of the international institution to take a decision to stop the aggression, after the US veto."

He added – in his speech to Al Jazeera Net – that the strike includes "all walks of life, including commercial movement, banks, universities and institutes, in conjunction with marches in various cities and capitals of the world, and in front of the embassies of the occupation state and the United States in a number of countries of the world."

The strike includes "activists in the Netherlands, Canada, the United States and Britain closing metro stations and railways, which are a very important means of transport used by large sectors of Western societies," Abu Bakr said.

He also said that "the global demonstration is a message to the world calling on them to stand by the Palestinian people, and to emphasize that the popular and humanitarian will is stronger than American hegemony and dictates."

Abu Bakr said that the West Bank strike paralyzed all aspects of life, in conjunction with a sit-in and events in city centers, and "this is not a day off or rest, but a day for popular events in support of our people in Gaza in front of the bloodbath and the massacres of the occupation, confirming the unity of blood, position and destiny."

He added that the strike comes in rejection of the fait accompli policy and the so-called "day after" in Gaza after the war and the arrangements that the United States is trying to find at the expense of the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people, considering that the strike confirms that the Palestinian people are not isolated, and that their resistance is legitimate, and that building their state and answering their demands is an inherent right guaranteed.

The global strike paralyzes various aspects of life in the occupied West Bank (Al-Jazeera)

The idea of a strike

The Palestinian journalist and activist Israa Al-Sheikh, who lives in Turkey, is referred to on social networks as a driver of the idea of the strike, as she strongly follows on her social media accounts the numbers and names of those joining the strike around the world, including companies, organizations and personalities.

A review of social networks shows that her first post last Thursday included a call for a strike, in which she published a short video in which he talked about the concept, importance and impact of the strike as a form of peaceful resistance.

The Palestinian activist added that the strike today is only the beginning of the campaign until the brutal aggression on Gaza is stopped and the siege is broken.

#All_Strike#StrikeForGaza

Start spreading and take the initiative and don't be afraid It's a lonely and pure life. pic.twitter.com/MRNWp2GDLO

— Esraa Alshikh Esraa El Sheikh (@Esralshikh) December 7, 2023

But the coordinator of political forces in the Ramallah area says that the idea of the global strike generated during a meeting held - via Zoom - about 70 legal and influential figures from around the world, especially South Africa and Latin America.

He added that the meeting was held last weekend, and included leftist forces and movements and solidarity committees with the Palestinian people, during which they stressed the importance of stopping the Israeli aggression. After the US veto against the ceasefire in Gaza, they announced their call for strikes across the globe to affirm the world's support for the Palestinian people.

Abubakar named prominent names who took part in the meeting, including "former parliamentarians, heads of government and ministers".

Activists, politicians and writers have interacted with the campaign with several hashtags, including #الإضراب_الشامل, #strikeforgaza #GazaHoloucast, and #CeasefireForNOW

Since October 7, the occupation army has launched an aggression on the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 17,50 martyrs and about <>,<> wounded, most of them children and women, in addition to massive destruction of infrastructure and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.

Source : Al Jazeera