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 the captives.
Hundreds of people have gathered in the center of Tel Aviv, in what has been called “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 he holiest day of the jewish calendar and in it the Jews are asked to atone and repent for the sins committed the previous year. Shay Dickmann, whose cousin Carmel Gat died in captivity, said she hoped the day of reflection inspire action to resolve the hostage crisis.
“Today I tell you: don’t say you’re sorry. Make a deal 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 to think how we can act differently to avoid such horrors“he declared.
Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage during its Oct. 7 raid, which sparked the war in Gaza.
Around 100 hostages remain in captivitya third of whom are believed to have died after most of the others were freed during a week-long ceasefire in November.
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 the captives.
Since the war in Gaza began in October, More than 42,000 Palestinians have diedbut the Ministry of Health, run by Hamas, does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.
