From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 23, 2025
Hundreds gather in NYC’s Central Park to urge continuing hostage release-ceasefire deal
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleHundreds gather in New York’s Central Park for a rally urging a continuation of the Gaza hostage release-ceasefire deal until all captives have been returned to Israel.
Participants hold Israeli flags and some American flags, and wear yellow, representing the hostages’ plight, and orange, representing young Ariel and Kfir Bibas, young redheaded brothers who were murdered in captivity, and whose remains were finally returned to Israel on Thursday.
The rally, organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, in coordination with local Jewish groups, includes an address by freed hostage Ilana Gritzewsky, who was released in November 2023, during a previous deal, after 55 days of captivity.
המונים בעצרת בסנטרל פארק שבניו יורק בקריאה להשבת החטופים: "שלב ב' בעסקה חייב להתקדם, אסור להשאיר אף אחד מאחור"@YoavBorowitz
צילום: לירי אגמי, דני טננבאום, ניצן חכם, אלון קפלון ואמנון שמי pic.twitter.com/LHgycWBDrX— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) February 23, 2025
Her boyfriend, Matan Zangauker, is still held captive.
Gal Gilboa-Dalal and Ilay David also speak, a day after their brothers, Guy and Evyatar, appeared in a Hamas propaganda clip, in which they were taken to watch the release of other Israeli hostages while themselves being kept in captivity.
The forum has held weekly rallies in Central Park for more than a year.
The Times of Israel Community.