On the 200th day after their abduction from Israel to the Gaza Strip, relatives and supporters of more than 100 hostages drew attention to their fate with a protest in Tel Aviv. On Tuesday, they lay in a formation on the ground in the square in front of the Habima National Theater and held up their hands, painted blood red.
On the Jewish holiday of Passover, which commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and their liberation from slavery, there will be no freedom for the hostages, the families said, according to the Ynet news site. “The hostages are dying; estimates say less than half of them are still alive.”
More than 1,200 people were murdered and more than 250 others abducted to the Gaza Strip in the massacre by the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas and other extremist organizations in the Israeli border area on October 7. During a week-long ceasefire in late November, Hamas released 105 hostages. In return, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from its prisons.
Hamas rejects all proposals
During street protests, relatives have been calling on the government for months to make another deal with Hamas to quickly release the hostages. However, Hamas has so far rejected all proposals from international mediators. Relatives of those kidnapped also accuse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing a hostage deal.
Twelve hostages have German citizenship
According to the organization of the hostage families, twelve of the other hostages have German nationality. The Foreign Ministry does not provide a specific number, but assumes there are some in the low double digits who have dual German and Israeli citizenship. According to Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock, this includes a one-year-old baby.
Source: Krone
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