A GENERAL strike brought the West Bank to a standstill yesterday as Palestinians protested against a massive air bombardment by Israeli occupying forces on the Gaza Strip.

Businesses such as banks and public services such as universities all kept their doors closed as Gaza demonstrated the unity of the Palestinian people a day after resistance fighters had launched a surprise attack against Israeli forces in Gaza.

The shutdown took place as the Israeli cabinet declared yesterday that their country was now in a “state of war” as they launched a major military operation to regain territory lost to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Saturday.  

The announcement came after Hamas fired thousands of rockets against Israel before starting a ground offensive that took the Israelis by complete surprise.

In a well-planned operation, Hamas fighters broke through the border fence enclosing Gaza, then crossed with motorcycles, pickup trucks, paragliders and speed boats on the coast.

Palestinian fighters took over as many as 22 locations outside the Gaza Strip early on Saturday morning, including towns and other communities as far as 15 miles from the Gaza border, while launching thousands of rockets at Israeli cities.

During their operation, dozens of Israeli soldiers and civilians were captured.

The Israelis responded by launching a massive air attack targeting residential buildings and mosques.

As fighting between both sides continued at least 600 people have reportedly been killed in Israel and more than 300 killed in Gaza.

The Israelis have reportedly arrested numerous Palestinians, including 19 Hamas members, cut off roads, closed the Hawara and Sarra checkpoints, near the northern city of Nablus, as were the entrances to the neighbouring city of Jenin.

Ahead of an emergency meeting of the United Nations security council, set for today, China called for an immediate end to hostilities and for restraint.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said that the only way out of the conflict “lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine.”

Egypt is said to be in talks with both sides over a potential cease-fire, but Israel was reportedly not open to a truce “at this stage.”

President Joe Biden said that the United States “stands with the people of Israel in the face of these terrorist assaults,” and that Israel has the right to defend itself.

The far-right Israeli government has authorised near daily military raids in the occupied West Bank this year, killing hundreds, and have ramped up the number of settler constructions.