At least 50,000 demonstrating in Jerusalem to mark six months since Oct. 7 – Hostages Forum

At least 50,000 demonstrators are in attendance outside the Knesset building in Jerusalem at tonight’s mass rally marking half a year of captivity for the remaining 133 hostages in Gaza, says a spokesperson for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum which organized the event.

Hagit Chen, the mother of slain hostage Itay Chen, is onstage now lamenting her son’s murder in captivity.

“How is it possible that after six months they [the government] haven’t brought you back?” she says through tears, accusing the government of abandoning her, “who sent her son to the army with such great pride.”

She urges the government, in particular Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to reach a deal to return the hostages.

Her one-off mention of the prime minister’s name was met with loud booing by the crowd.