From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Hundreds dance at Hostages Square on first night after Israel-Hamas ceasefire announced
Hundreds of people are dancing tonight at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv — a sight rarely seen in the plaza outside Tel Aviv’s art museum in the two years since 251 captives were taken in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack.
On Thursdays, for the past two years, the square has hosted a jam session by friends of hostage Evyatar David to pay tribute to his love of music.
The jams were typically somber affairs, rife with ballads and attended by a few dozen people.
Tonight, the first night after Israel and Hamas reached a deal meant to release all 48 remaining hostages in the coming days, attendance has swelled and the atmosphere is electric. On stage, a cover band for the iconic Israeli group Kaveret — cleverly called Coveret — plays the band’s greatest hits, as the audience jumps up and down and sings along.
“We wish that Evyatar will come back as soon as possible and that this will be the last time we’re here,” says the frontman at the end of the performance.
People dance as a band including Gil Dickmann, cousin of slain hostage Carmel Gat, performs אני שוב מתאהב (I fall in love again) by former Kaveret frontman Gidi Gov at Hostages Square pic.twitter.com/hEv1z7QRju
— Noam Lehmann (@noamlehmann) October 9, 2025
The Times of Israel Community.