Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 30, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 30, 2026
Subdued but cheerful atmosphere at Hostages Square as crowd gathers for final Kabbalat Shabbat service
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleBen Sales is a news editor at The Times of Israel
Attendees at the final Kabbalat Shabbat at Hostages Square enjoy cake and wine ahead of the service, which will mark the first Shabbat since 2014 without any hostages in Gaza, on January 30, 2026. (Ben Sales/The Times of Israel)
The mood is subdued but cheerful and the weather is warm and sunny as people gather ahead of the final Kabbalat Shabbat at Hostages Square hosted by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
The service welcoming Shabbat marks the first time since 2014 that there are no hostages held in the Gaza Strip. The final slain hostage, Ran Gvili, was brought back earlier this week.
Most of the installations that filled the square are gone, though not all.
Under a tent, attendees sip wine and eat cakes as a man sings “Habayta,” a song about returning home that has become an anthem for the movement to free the hostages.
Hundreds have turned out for the service.
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