Nurses in Israel are staging a general strike over staff shortages and poor conditions made worse by the coronavirus pandemic. These factors, they say, have made it impossible for them to work.

With more than 800 nurses in quarantine themselves, according to health ministry figures, and no-one to replace them, hospitals and health facilities are having to operate on reduced staffing and non-urgent operations have been cancelled.

"We have no choice but to take matters into our own hands and prevent a health system collapse this coming winter," the head of the nurses' union, Ilana Cohen, said.

Israel has experienced a resurgence of coronavirus cases in recent weeks after largely relaxing restrictions following a marked decline in infections.
This past weekend, the government reimposed limits on gatherings and said it would be closing some public spaces. It is considering a full lockdown if cases continue to rise.