Israel's Palestinian citizens protest against rising crime and violence with huge strike

Tens of thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel are participating in a general strike to protest rising violence and crime rates. Protesters accuse the Israeli police and establishment of complicity and failing to protect their communities from organized gun violence. The open-ended strike began in the northern city of Sakhnin and has since spread to other Palestinian-majority areas. This action follows a record number of homicides in 2025, with 252 Palestinians killed in criminal incidents.