Thousands of Israelis gathered in Yerushalayim on Thursday night for a protest organized by the Tikva Forum for Families of Hostages, demanding immediate and decisive action from the government to secure the release of all Israelis held by Hamas in Gaza and the definitive defeat of the terrorist group.
The demonstration, which took place on Kaplan Street, which runs through the government campus on Givat Ram, starting at 7 p.m., brought together families of hostages, bereaved families from the Forum for Families of Fallen Heroes (the Gvura Forum), war veterans and IDF reservists under the banner “Demanding Resolution Now for the Release of All Hostages.”
The protest comes amid ongoing negotiations for a hostage deal, with critics arguing that current proposals could leave captives in Gaza for years without Israel maintaining leverage over Hamas.
Knesset member Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit) addressed the crowd, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
“Our goal is clear: to bring back all our hostages,” she declared. “What we need to do today is one thing only: Strike Hamas in every possible way until they are forced to release our loved ones.”
Son Har-Melech also stressed the importance of maintaining pressure on Hamas by restricting aid supplies and other goods from entering Gaza until all hostages are free.
The protest gained significant momentum earlier in the day when Rabbi Tzvi Tau, a prominent figure in the Religious Zionist community and president of the Har Hamor Yeshivah in Yerushalayim, issued a letter calling on the public to attend.
“It is a great mitzvah to join the clear, healthy and loyal voice of the people at tonight’s mass rally,” Tau wrote, urging support for the government’s military efforts and the soldiers defending Israel.
The Tikvah Forum expressed support for a new hostage deal proposal reportedly submitted by Israel to the United States. The proposal includes the release of all Israeli captives, the exit of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar from the Gaza Strip, the release of terrorists held by Israel, the demilitarization of Gaza, and the establishment of a new control mechanism in the Strip.
“The Tikva Forum for Hostage Families expresses great support for the new proposal, which includes the release of all the hostages held in Hamas’s dungeons for a whole year in a single phase,” the group stated. “We believe that only a deal in one phase can bring the hostages home. Any other deal is not feasible and could lead to the murder of the hostages.”
Shimon Or, an uncle of hostage Avinatan Or, told JNS after attending the rally: “Allowing Hamas to give back only some of the hostages would give it leverage, in the form of the remaining hostages, that it could use to drag out negotiations for years, all the while signaling to the Palestinian population that it’s in charge.”
The current premise of the indirect negotiations, in which Hamas has expressed a tentative willingness to release only some of the hostages, Shimon Or, who is a member of the Tikvah Forum, added, is a “pipe dream. It’s not going to lead anywhere. So anyone who actually wants to see the hostages return needs to change the premise, which is what we’re calling to do.”
Members of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum also said, “We welcome the new Netanyahu proposal, which strengthens security in Israel and allows for a comprehensive regional arrangement. The prime minister must lead this proposal with courage, determination, and speed.”
More than 30 families of hostages are expected to attend next week’s U.N. General Assembly session to meet with international officials and advocate for the release of their loved ones.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday harshly criticized an Israeli television news report accusing him of “torpedoing” a ceasefire deal with Hamas, saying it echoed the terrorist group’s propaganda.
“The fact that Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has acceded to every American proposal for releasing the hostages despite the ultimatum from elements in the coalition completely refutes the claim that he has torpedoed any deal whatsoever due to political considerations,” his office said in a statement in response to the Channel 12 report.
“The false claims in the media against Prime Minister Netanyahu echo the propaganda of the Hamas terrorist organization and invert reality. Prime Minister Netanyahu has already brought about the release of 154 hostages, 117 of whom are alive, and will continue to utilize all means to release the hostages,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Hamas currently holds 101 hostages captive in Gaza, including 97 abducted on Oct. 7.
(JNS)