Many protesters accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s government of not doing enough to secure the release of the hostages and accuse him of putting his political survival before the lives of prisoners
Hundreds of people gathered in central Tel Aviv on Friday, in what has become known as “Hostage Square”, on the occasion of Yom Kippur, to pray for the Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 last year.
Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar and calls upon Jews to atone and repent for sins committed in the previous year.
Shay Dickmann, whose cousin Carmel Gat was killed in captivity, said she hoped the day of reflection would inspire action to resolve the hostage crisis.
“Today I say to you: don’t say you’re sorry. Make an agreement that saves the lives of the other hostages who can still be saved.” Carmel survived 328 days in captivity before being brutally murdered by her captors. Today is a day when we need to think about how we can act differently to avoid such horrors” Gat said.
Hamas killed around 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage during the October 7 incursion that sparked the war in Gaza. About 100 hostages remain in captivity, a third of whom are believed to have died after most of the others were released during a week-long ceasefire in November.
Many protesters accuse the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not doing enough to secure the release of the hostages and they accuse him of putting his political survival before the lives of prisoners.
