Tel Aviv: 24-hour mass rally demands release of hostages held in Gaza for 100 days

TEL AVIV: An estimated 1,20,000 people gathered at Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square” to mark the 100th day since about 240 individuals were kidnapped and taken into Gaza during Hamas’ October 7 terror onslaught, The Times of Israel reported.

This 24-hour rally, one of the largest in Israel over the past year, brought together families of the hostages, dignitaries, and concerned citizens.

Relatives of the approximately 132 hostages still in Gaza expressed their frustration with the government’s perceived lack of action since the kidnapping. They warned that time was running out to save their loved ones and criticised the government for neglecting its responsibility to protect citizens on October 7.

French President Emmanuel Macron, US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew, and former Supreme Court president Dorit Beinisch addressed the crowd during the early hours of the rally. Macron, expressing determination, referred to hostages with French citizenship by name, pledging to see them released. Ambassador Lew emphasised the US commitment to bringing the hostages home immediately.

The rally occurred amid progress in an agreement to transfer medications to the hostages for the first time. Medications were reportedly handed over to Qatari officials on Saturday night, slated for delivery to the Red Cross or another third party responsible for getting them to the hostages.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a press conference on Saturday night, reiterated his commitment to exhausting every effort to secure the release of the remaining hostages. However, he pointed out the complex calculations that decision-makers must consider, hinting at broader considerations in the negotiation process.

Critics argued that the government should pay any necessary price to free the hostages, emphasising the state’s responsibility to protect its citizens. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called for the war cabinet to hold its Sunday meeting at the square, highlighting that delays were resulting in the deaths of more hostages.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Herzi Halevi said that military pressure was crucial for the hostages’ return, emphasising the ongoing efforts by the Israel Defence Forces to bring them back. Hostages’ families, however, increasingly opposed this stance, advocating for a political solution over a military one.

Nobel Prize-winning biologist Aaron Ciechanover, addressing the crowd forcefully, criticised the government and army for abandoning the residents of the Gaza border communities on October 7. He questioned the state’s ability to ensure the most basic right to security, stating that the government would have a black stain on its forehead if the hostages were not brought back.

The rally featured various emotional moments, including a demonstration by artist Dana Sapir, who remained trapped in a cage in Hostage Square, symbolizing the dire situation faced by the hostages.

A mock Hamas tunnel allowed attendees to experience the conditions faced by the hostages, with names, messages, and tally marks on the walls indicating the days since their abduction.

As the rally continued through the night, thousands endured heavy rain, and more than 50 artists were scheduled to perform. Speakers, including family members, politicians, and activists, directed their remarks at the government, urging immediate action and expressing the urgency of bringing the hostages home.

A freed hostage, Danielle Aloni, whose brother-in-law David Cunio was still held in Gaza, said, “It has been 100 days of cruelty that the world hasn’t seen since Hitler.”

Aloni told the rally how Hamas “created a city of terror underground,” where hostages were taken in their pyjamas, “without shoes, without glasses, without medicine.”

Urging the world leaders, she yelled, “How would you feel if your women were being raped? How would you act if they were shooting at your parents, if they were burning your loved ones alive?”

The powerful gathering in Tel Aviv encapsulated the collective demand for the release of the hostages held in Gaza and brought attention to the complexities and challenges surrounding their captivity, The Times of Israel reported.