text: Palestinians end four-hour strike . JERUSALEM 1996-08-29 Palestinians reopened their shops on Thursday at the end of a four-hour strike called by President Yasser Arafat to protest against Israel 's policy on Jewish settlements and Jerusalem , witnesses said . Shopkeepers in Arab East Jerusalem rolled up their shutters some 10 minutes before the scheduled noon ( 0900 GMT ) end of the stoppage . Palestinian leaders called the strike , the first in the West Bank and Gaza since 1994 , a warning signal that the peace process with Israel was in danger . Witnesses said most shops were closed in towns and villages in the areas , with the exception of Hebron , a West Bank city still under Israeli occupation .