Bereaved father Wally Wollfstal, whose son Ariel was killed in Gaza last year, calls on the Israeli government to continue its war against Hamas at a Jerusalem protest.
“Israeli soldiers, our heroes, can free them [the hostages],” he shouts. “Let the IDF win! The IDF can do this work.”
The demonstrators gather outside the Knesset adjacent to a tent erected months before by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a vast coalition of hostage families who support a ceasefire deal to free their loved ones.
Some youths approach the fence between them and the Hostage Families Forum tent, tearing down pro-hostage deal banners.
Religious Zionism MK Moshe Solomon arrives at the protest in a show of support.
“With God’s help, we will make the right decisions for the sake of the State of Israel,” he says to a lingering crowd.
Of the 251 hostages seized by Hamas on October 7, 2023, eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 40 others were recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military.
One hundred and five hostages were released alive during a weeklong truce in November 2023, and four were released prior to that.
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 16, 2025
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