Israel’s Cabinet has approved a deal to allow more EU flights, hours after the country’s airlines went on strike out of concerns that the agreement would cost them jobs and possibly even ruin their companies.

Israel’s three airlines went on strike today over a proposed “Open Skies” deal with the European Union that union workers say jeopardises their jobs and could even cause the local airline industry to collapse.

Tens of thousands of Israeli workers launched an open-ended general strike today that crippled the country’s ports, transport and financial services.