Hostages and Missing Families Forum activist Tom Barkai at a protest for a hostage deal in Jerusalem on March 23, 2024. (Charlie Summers/The Times of Israel)
Hundreds of protesters are gathered outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem to call for an immediate hostage deal and mark 169 days of captivity for the 134 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.
“No holiday will ever be a real holiday without the return of all the hostages,” says Hostages and Missing Families Forum organizer Tom Barkai, alluding to the upcoming Purim holiday which will be celebrated on Sunday night and Monday in Jerusalem, a day after the rest of the country.
The protest is occurring at the same time as negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue in Qatar.
“We are in critical days of negotiations in Qatar between Israel and Hamas, it is forbidden for us to allow the Israeli government to waste this opportunity,” says Elad Or, brother of Dror Or who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. “The hostages’ families need as much support as possible in these critical days.”
Elad Or, brother of Hamas-held hostage Dror Or at a protest for a hostage deal in Jerusalem on March 23, 2024. (Charlie Summers/The Times of Israel)
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From the Liveblog of
Saturday, March 23, 2024
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