Protesters rally outside Red Cross office in DC demanding hostage deal

Several hundred Israel supporters hold their weekly rally outside the office of the American Red Cross in Washington, urging the agency to act in order to secure the release of the remaining hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas.

Among the speakers are Boaz Atzili — whose nephew Aviv was killed during Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught and whose body is being held in Gaza — and Hillel International CEO Adam Lehman.

“Israel’s government told us in early December that only military pressure would bring Hamas to comply and would bring the release of the hostages. Yet, 134 hostages are still there, in the dark tunnels of Gaza for 150 days! Five months! Within these five months only three hostages were rescued by forces, and who knows how many lost their lives,” Atzili says.

“I’m begging the government of Israel to take the deal now — there is no time. There is no choice,” he adds.

After the speeches, participants — many of whom hold flags from countries around the world to highlight that many of the hostages are dual citizens whose governments also have a responsibility to work toward their return — march around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

According to organizers from the DC chapter of the UnXeptable group of Israeli expat activists in the US, war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz — who arrived in the US earlier today for meetings this week with top US officials — was slated to speak but canceled over what his office said was a scheduling conflict with his afternoon meeting with AIPAC executives.