Kuwait - Saba:
Several Kuwaiti companies and commercial and cultural institutions have announced their participation in the global strike campaign in support of Gaza against the war of extermination, expressing their solidarity with the Palestinian cause and their rejection of the killing machine practiced by the Israeli enemy.
The forms of solidarity varied between a complete closure of businesses, the suspension of financial transactions, and the allocation of profits from that day to support Gaza through official channels.
According to al-Quds Press Agency, al-Mutawa Commercial Group, along with Arkan Real Estate Company, Maskat Company, and Dar al-Mutawa, announced a complete closure of all their branches and the suspension of all financial and administrative transactions, including the suspension of payments and installments, and the suspension of transactions via bank links, payment cards, and credit cards.
In the same context, the Gulf Creativity Training and Consulting Company announced the suspension of all financial transactions through its electronic platforms in solidarity with the global campaign against genocide.
Dip n Dip allocated today's profits entirely to support the people of Gaza, stating that "the ongoing aggression in the Strip calls for a moral and humanitarian stance that cannot be postponed."
The food sector in Kuwait also responded to the campaign. Mama Chicken announced it would donate 5% of its end-of-month profits to the Kuwait Red Crescent Society in support of the Palestinian people, affirming its "continuity of commitment."
The Firefly Kuwait branch closed its doors today, Monday, in solidarity with Gaza, under the slogan: "From our hearts to Palestine... Victory is an hour's patience."
Uncle Osaka Kuwait also announced the closure of all its branches today, Monday, in solidarity with the global strike in support of Gaza.
The company stated that "all sales of mochi—a Japanese sweet—on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will be allocated to support Gaza through approved relief agencies in Kuwait."
It concluded by saying, "This is the least we can do in the face of this tragedy."
The artistic and cultural aspect was not absent from the scene. The cast of the play "The Game" announced a halt to ticket sales for the day in solidarity with Gaza, emphasizing that what is happening to children and their families there is "oppression and injustice" that calls for a humanitarian stance, even if it is the weakest of faith.
The cast's statement on Instagram read: "It is very painful what is happening to children and their families in Gaza at the hands of the Zionist occupation army and the criminal forces behind it... The weakest of faith is to close the ticket office to be a pillar in the bundle of human conscience."
Takween Bookstore also announced the "suspension of its financial transactions in participation in the global strike against the ongoing war of extermination in Gaza."
The head of the "Kuwaitis in Support of Palestine" team, activist Abdullah Al-Moussawi, said, "The international boycott campaign launched today aims to shed light on the crimes being committed against civilians in Gaza, amid shameful international silence."
In an interview with al-Quds Press, he explained that "Kuwait has always been at the forefront of people supporting Palestine, and has witnessed extensive solidarity campaigns since the launch of Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa," noting that "the culture of boycott must be permanent and not merely a temporary reaction."
Al-Moussawi emphasized that "the recent campaign has reinforced this popular awareness, as widespread responses were observed from commercial and public establishments, including boycotts of products that support the occupation, especially soft drinks and fast food chains. This has helped revive Kuwaiti and Gulf products as quality alternatives at competitive prices."
Al-Moussawi concluded by emphasizing that "the direct impact of the strike may not be easy to measure, but it reinforces the principle that 'boycott is resistance' and constitutes indispensable economic and moral support in the nation's battle to support and liberate Palestine."
For his part, Musab al-Mutawa, head of the Youth for al-Quds Association (a volunteer group) in Kuwait, said, "The general strike called for in support of Palestine, specifically the Gaza Strip, is a form of activating the popular consumer power. It is a natural extension of boycott campaigns. In some countries, it could develop into civil disobedience, leading to a partial or complete paralysis of public life."
In an interview with Quds Press, al-Mutawa added, "What is happening today represents a significant development in the awareness of Arab societies, especially over the past year, as popular engagement with these calls has become more serious and influential." He noted that "consolidating the Palestinian narrative and defining roles has contributed to broader community engagement, giving the strike a real resonance and tangible impact."
He explained that "a number of countries have experienced significant economic losses as a result of these popular movements, especially since many companies that support the occupation have operated without deterrence for years and have not encountered real resistance from civil society."
He continued: "We are living through a critical moment in this conflict, as civil society institutions are in direct confrontation with the capitalist corporations that continue to support this usurping entity. Thank God, this popular awareness is on the rise, moving from a boycott to a strike, and in some stages, it may even reach civil disobedience, until legitimate demands are met, the first of which is to halt support for this entity and liberate the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque."
On the 18th of last month, the enemy forces reneged on the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in effect since January 19, and resumed their genocidal war on the devastated Gaza Strip.
With absolute American support, the enemy forces have been committing genocide in the besieged Palestinian Strip since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 165,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing.
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