From the Liveblog of
Saturday, May 25, 2024
Jerusalem protesters accuse Netanyahu of ‘abandoning’ hostages, demand deal to secure their release
Hundreds of protesters are gathered in Paris Square outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem for the weekly hostage families rally.
Protesters chant, “Bibi is abandoning the hostages!” while gathered around drummers at the core of the rally.
Tom Barkai, lead organizer of the Jerusalem branch of Hostages and Missing Families Forum, tells the crowd that although she fears for the hostages’ future, she and others in the crowd “are continuing, without any question… to fight for their return.”
Daniel Epstein, philosopher and rabbi, is first to speak to the crowd outside Netanyahu’s home, refusing to wish the protesters a good week this Saturday night, because “our week will only be good until all of them return.”
They [the hostages] are looking at us, each one of them. What are they saying? They are saying: where are you? where are your consciences?” he says.
“They are here [with us], their glance, their voice… they are here… And we are there with them. We are them, and they are us,” he continues.
It is believed that 121 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that. Three hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 19 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.
The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 37 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza.
One more person is listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is still unknown.
Hamas is also holding the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014, as well as two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
