From the Liveblog of
Saturday, October 18, 2025
‘Until the last hostage’: Protesters in Tel Aviv demand return of bodies of 18 still held in Gaza
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Crowds of protesters gather in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square for tonight’s protest, calling for the remaining 18 hostages’ bodies to be returned to Israel.
Some hold signs with photos of Itay Chen, one of the soldiers killed on October 7, whose body was taken captive by Hamas to Gaza. Other signs read, “You are not alone, we are with you, until the last hostage.”
Protests for the remaining hostages are taking place in Haifa, Zichron Ya’akov, Jerusalem and other locations.
At the Tel Aviv protest tonight, Einav Zangauker, mother of released hostage Matan Zangauker, will speak, followed by Ela Haimi, who is still waiting for the body of her husband, Tal Haimi, the head of the Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak emergency response team, who was killed on October 7.
Other speakers include Roy Baruch, brother of Uriel Baruch, whose body was taken from the Nova festival on October 7 and released earlier this week; Yotam Cohen, brother of released hostage Nimrod Cohen; Orna and Ronen Neutra, who are still waiting for the body of their son, soldier Omer Neutra, killed on October 7, and Ayelet Goldin, whose brother, Hadar Goldin, was killed in 2014 and whose body is still held in Gaza.
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