An Israeli labour court on September 2 ordered an end to a national strike called by the country's main labour federation Histadrut, in protest over the government's handling of hostages held in Gaza.

The announcement comes after a night where thousands of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv and Haifa on September 1, calling on the Israeli government to immediately strike a deal with Hamas to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza. The demonstration, which Ynet portal estimated at over 100,000 participants, saw protesters reading out names of cabinet members opposing a deal, met with whistles and shouts of "shame" from the crowd.

The strike, which began on Sunday, at ceased at 2:30 p.m. (1130 GMT), several hours earlier than the 6 p.m. end time initially proposed by Histadrut, the court ruled.

Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David said the union would comply with the court's decision. "We respect the law," Bar-David told reporters after the ruling.

The strike action came in response to the Israeli military's announcement on September 1 that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages in Rafah, southern Gaza.

Histadrut had been in negotiations with aviation authorities about potentially extending the strike and limiting airport operations. "If the court orders us to stop the strike, we will do so," a Histadrut spokesperson told Radio 103FM earlier on September 2.

The spokesperson added that the strike announcement had given "a glimmer of hope" to families of hostages still held in Gaza.

"We finally saw a leader and an organisation that understands our pain," families were quoted as saying.

The strike has affected various sectors of the Israeli economy, including government offices, banks and the country's main international airport.

This labour action marks one of the most significant domestic challenges to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7.

Israel estimates that around 130 hostages remain in Gaza, with approximately 30 believed to be dead, out of the 253 people abducted by Hamas in its initial attack in 2023.