This Saturday, several families of Israelis held hostage in Gaza, along with hundreds of supporters, approached Jerusalem on the last day of a four-day march that began in Tel Aviv. The aim of the march is to pressure the government to negotiate with Hamas for the release of their loved ones.
The group left Shoresh in central Israel on Friday morning and traveled along the country’s main highway, Route 1, in sweltering heat. Along the way, participants counted aloud to 279, representing the number of days the hostages had been held captive since their October 7 abduction by a Palestinian terrorist group.
In slogans, phrases like: “They’re still alive, now’s the time for deals!” and “The government is responsible for the lives of the hostages!” Protesters chant “Marching for a deal!” They carried the banner.
As Friday is not a full working day in Israel, the number of participants in Friday’s parade was higher than the previous day. The temperature was high, around 33 degrees Celsius. One participant, described by the protest group Pro-Democracy as a “Good Samaritan,” brought a small water cannon from the Upper Galilee to provide some relief.
According to The Times of Israel, at the forefront of the procession was his 24-year-old son, Madan Einau Jangauker, who was abducted by terrorists from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. Matan’s sister, Natalie Jangauker, also participated in the march.
Zahiro Mor, who led the march, had his 78-year-old uncle Avraham Munder taken from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod, a 19-year-old soldier, was abducted from the Nahal Oz army. the foundation.
Jangakars wore t-shirts bearing Matan’s image, while Cohen carried a photograph of Nimrod. The four leaders represent three of the many families that organized the march under the name “Kulanu Hatufim” (“We are all hostages”). The group is known for its violent protests in front of the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv and for blocking the Ayalon highway every Saturday night.
In support of the march, a delegation of young Arabs attended, all members of the General Federation of Young Workers and Students, a liberal Zionist youth movement, reported by the group “Gulanu Hatufim” on X (formerly Twitter).
Before leaving, protesters displayed what appeared to be cards along the highway, chanting the phrase “We seek our brothers,” a reference to the book of Genesis. Dozens of left-wing activists also took religious cues, wearing T-shirts referencing the Jewish command to free prisoners.
116 hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 are believed to still be in Gaza – not all of them alive. In November, a cease-fire agreement freed 105 civilian hostages, and Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners during a week-long temporary ceasefire. After that, no agreement was reached despite several rounds of negotiations.
In recent days, the chances of a deal appear to have increased after Hamas dropped its demand that Israel agree early to end the war.
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