Lebanon announces nationwide strike in solidarity with Gaza

BEIRUT, Lebanon

Lebanon announced the closure of all government offices and institutions nationwide on Monday in solidarity with Gaza and the southern Lebanese villages affected by Israeli attacks.

In an official statement on Sunday, secretary-general of Lebanon's Council of Ministers, Mahmoud Mekkiya, announced that Prime Minister Najib Mikati made the decision in response to a global call for a strike "in solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian people, including our fellow citizens in Gaza and the border villages of Lebanon."

The Beirut Engineers' Syndicate also confirmed the closure of its main headquarters in the Lebanese capital Beirut, along with its branch offices across various regions on Monday.

These collective actions align with widespread calls initiated by activists across the world under the hashtag #StrikeForGaza, urging a comprehensive global strike on Monday to express solidarity with Gaza residents and apply pressure on governments to take action toward ending the Israeli war.

Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a weeklong humanitarian pause with Hamas.

Nearly 18,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 49,229 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following the cross-border attack by Hamas.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.

* Writing by Mohammad Sio