PALESTINIANS will hold a general strike in the occupied territories on Tuesday as Israeli attacks worsen the humanitarian crisis there, with hospitals among the buildings targeted in air strikes.

The High Follow-up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel announced its support for the strike on Sunday “in response to ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza, Jerusalem and many parts of the West Bank.”

The committee, an extraparliamentary organisation composed of Palestinian members of the Knesset, mayors, and leaders of civic movements, has called for a strike that includes local authorities and youth communities in all cities and towns.

Action is expected in a number of Israeli cities, amid calls for international solidarity actions in support of demands that include an end to air strikes in Gaza, which have claimed the lives of more than 192 Palestinians in just over a week, and the withdrawal of Jewish settlers from the occupied neighbourhoods.

“From across colonised Palestine we call on you to join our general strike and our action … Launched from Jerusalem and extending across the world, we call on your support in maintaining this moment of unprecedented resistance,” organisers said in a statement.

“As settler mobs and the Israeli occupation continue a campaign of violence and ethnic cleansing against our people in Sheikh Jarrah, Gaza and beyond, we will continue our popular uprising until the liberation of our lands and people,” it said, adding: “Liberation is within our reach.”

Israel’s war on Palestine has led to an outpouring of global solidarity, with huge protests seen in cities across Europe, the United States and the Middle  East. 

A further international day of action is planned for Saturday (May 22) as pressure mounts on world leaders to take firm action, including sanctions against Israel.

As reported by the Morning Star, hospitals and health facilities have been deliberately targeted, with medics killed during missile strikes. According to the United Nations Relief & Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, some 38,000 Palestinians have been internally displaced.

Freelance translator Jason Shawa reported that Gaza’s sole power plant was set to grind to a halt this evening. 

“Electricity is crucial for pumping water to higher floors in high rises and to keep bodies of those killed by Israel’s deadly assaults refrigerated in hospital morgues,” he said.