The families of Israeli hostages and thousands of their supporters arrived in Jerusalem on Saturday at the end of a five-day march to confront the government over the plight of those taken captive by Hamas. The estimated 20,000 marchers, including well-wishers who joined the procession along the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, want to put pressure on Israel’s government “to do everything they can to bring the hostages back,” said Noam Alon, 25, clutching a photograph of his abducted girlfriend, Inbar.
Quick Read
- March for Israeli Hostages in Jerusalem: Families and supporters of Israeli hostages marched to Jerusalem, concluding a five-day march to urge the government to act on behalf of those captured by Hamas.
- Large Participation in March: Around 20,000 people, including families of the hostages and supporters, participated in the march, demanding the government’s immediate action to bring back the hostages.
- Demands for Government Action: The marchers, led by individuals like Noam Alon, are pressing the Israeli government to negotiate the return of the hostages, emphasizing urgency in their demands.
- Wide Range of Hostages: Approximately 240 Israelis, from infants to the elderly, were taken hostage by Hamas during a raid on October 7, intensifying concerns among their families and friends.
- Concerns Over Israeli Military Actions: Relatives of the hostages are worried about their safety amid ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza aimed at Hamas, with hopes pinned on a potential prisoner exchange.
- Public Criticism of the Government: Many Israelis, including opposition leader Yair Lapid, criticize the government for being unprepared for the Hamas assault and are calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation.
- Cabinet Member Heckled: Miki Zohar, a member of Netanyahu’s cabinet, faced heckling during his visit to the marchers, reflecting public discontent.
- Hamas’ Threats and Actions: Hamas initially threatened to execute hostages in response to Israeli airstrikes and has since claimed that some hostages were killed in attacks on Gaza.
- Pressure for Negotiations: Campaigners and relatives are urging the Israeli government to expedite prisoner swap negotiations, frustrated with Netanyahu’s cautious approach to the talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt.
- Public Demand for Transparency: Activists like Stevie Kerem criticize the lack of government communication with the hostages’ families regarding negotiation details and progress.
- Personal Stories of Marchers: Participants like Adriana Adri, whose elderly mother-in-law is a hostage, joined the march to demand immediate action, highlighting the urgency and personal impact of the situation.
- Sense of Community Among Marchers: Despite the prevailing exhaustion and frustration, some, like Meirav Leshem-Gonen, whose daughter is among the hostages, find solace in the solidarity and support shown by fellow Israelis.
The Associated Press has the story:
Hostage families put pressure on Israel’s Netanyahu government
Newslooks- JERUSALEM, (AP)
The families of Israeli hostages and thousands of their supporters arrived in Jerusalem on Saturday at the end of a five-day march to confront the government over the plight of those taken captive by Hamas.
The estimated 20,000 marchers, including well-wishers who joined the procession along the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, want to put pressure on Israel’s government “to do everything they can to bring the hostages back,” said Noam Alon, 25, clutching a photograph of his abducted girlfriend, Inbar.
“We are expecting them to meet with us, we are expecting them to tell us how they are going to do it,” he said. “We cannot wait any longer, so we are demand(ing) them to do that now, to pay any price to bring the hostages back.”
Around 240 Israelis – ranging from babies to grandparents – are believed to be in the Gaza Strip after being taken hostage by the Islamist faction during an Oct. 7 cross-border raid on southern Israeli villages and army bases in which 1,200 people were killed.
Many relatives and friends of the missing fear they will come to harm in Israeli attacks on Gaza designed to destroy Hamas. The government says the offensive improves the chances of recovering hostages, perhaps via a mediated prisoner exchange.
But many Israelis blame their government for being blindsided by the Hamas assault.
Among those who marched to Jerusalem was centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid, who has been mostly supportive of the war but has demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Miki Zohar, a member of Netanyahu’s cabinet and party, was heckled on Friday when he visited the marchers at a rest stop.
NEGOTIATIONS
Hamas, which in the early days of the war threatened to execute hostages in retaliation for Israeli air strikes, has since said some of the hostages have been killed in attacks on Gaza.
That has stoked the anxiety of campaigners and relatives calling on the Israeli government to speed up any prisoner swap, and frustration with Netanyahu’s insistence that discretion is required around the Qatari- and Egyptian-mediated negotiations.
“It’s impossible that there are 240 kidnapped people and the government — our government — isn’t talking to (the relatives), isn’t telling them what’s going on, what’s on the table, what’s on offer, what are the reasons for and against. Nothing,” said campaigner Stevie Kerem.
Also on the march was Adriana Adri, whose 85-year-old mother-in-law was among those taken by Hamas.
“We are marching to Jerusalem to bring her back, to shout and to say that she must be here,” Adri said. “We don’t have time, we don’t have one hour more, we don’t know if she is alive.”
Despite the exhaustion and frustration on display, one marcher allowed herself a note of optimism.
“I’m happy with the fact that we have the whole of Israel around us,” said Meirav Leshem-Gonen, whose daughter Romi, 23, is among the hostages. “This is what will count in the end.”
