Palestinians in Israel go on strike over Gaza slaughter

Palestinian citizens of Israel have on Wednesday called for a general strike in reaction to Tel Aviv's slaughter of Gazan civilians in the besieged enclave on Monday.

The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee - which says it represents Palestinian citizens of Israel - declared a general strike on Wednesday in protest against the killing of 61 Palestinian civilians on the Gaza border earlier this week.

The strike will include public schools in Palestinian communities.

The committee organised protests in Palestinian-majority areas of Israel on Tuesday. The demonstrations were attended by 2,000 people - including members of Knesset - to protest against Israel's brutality in the enclave.

Ayman Odeh, from the Joint List Knesset faction, was at the head of tghe protest.

"The Arab population, together with Jewish forces, are fighting against the slaughter in Gaza. We call for a peace agreement based on the 1967 lines," he said.

Another Knesset member of Palestinian origin from opposition party Zionist Union faction, Zouheir Bahloul, announced that he will be joining the strike.

"Morally, I cannot continue with regular routine," he said, according to Haaretz.

"The Netanyahu government, which has been neglecting the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip for years, is doing nothing to calm the bloody confrontation in the strip. I again call for the establishment of an investigative committee on open-fire orders at civilian demonstrators," he added.

On Monday, tens of thousands of Palestinians gathered near the Gaza border with Israeli snipers positioned on the other side of the fence.

More than 61 Palestinians were killed and over 2,400 injured, the deadliest day in the besieged territory since 2014 war with Israel. 

The toll included a baby who died from tear gas inhalation, along with eight children under the age of 16, Gaza's health ministry said.