Families of Israeli Hostages Continue March Demanding 'Immediate Release of Hostages'

Families and friends of Israeli hostages, along with thousands of their supporters, continued their march towards Jerusalem on Friday, November 17, to draw more attention from the government to the importance of the immediate release of hostages taken by Hamas about six weeks ago and brought to Gaza. The demonstrators left Tel Aviv three days ago, forcing police to block parts of the main highway. They held photos of their loved ones and chanted with Israeli flags: 'We will not surrender and demand the release of the hostages.' Hamas militants took approximately 240 hostages during the attack on October 7 in southern Israel, and it is believed that these hostages, ranging from infants to the elderly, are being held in tunnels in the Gaza Strip. The United States, the European Union, and Japan have designated the Hamas militant group, which is supported by the Islamic Republic, as a terrorist organization. Israeli and Arab media have reported ongoing negotiations for the release of at least some of the hostages, but no agreement has been reached yet. Yuval Haran, one of the demonstrators, called for the immediate release of seven family members, including his three-year-old niece, who are hostages of Hamas, holding a sign with their photos. He stated, 'How can you put a price on a three-year-old girl? Bring them back right now at any cost.' Stephen Seibert, the German ambassador to Israel, met with the demonstrators and called for the unconditional release of the hostages. He said, 'We are working at all political and diplomatic levels for this, and we ask you to keep hope alive.' Mickey Zohar, a member of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, also attended but was met with shouts of 'Shame! Be accountable!' He told some of the marchers, 'I knew coming here wouldn't be easy. I knew I would be shouted at, but I came to clearly tell you that we will do everything to bring them home.' The families of the hostages and their supporters stated that they would conclude their approximately 60-kilometer march on Saturday, November 18, in front of Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem. An Iranian-born grandmother of an Israeli hostage went to the Gaza border with a message for Hamas. The former U.S. Defense Secretary advised Israel that the condition for eradicating Hamas is 'serious action' against the Islamic Republic. Netanyahu stated that the hostages were at Shifa Hospital until the start of Israel's ground operation. The UN Human Rights Commissioner called for an investigation into the discovery of Hamas weapons at Shifa Hospital. Israel reported that the body of a hostage was found near Shifa Hospital; images of a 'terror tunnel' in the hospital grounds were released. Reuters reported that Qatar called for an agreement between Israel and Hamas for the release of 50 hostages and a three-day ceasefire in the conflict.