Families and Survivors Demand Action: Protests for Hostages Held in Gaza

“Make a Deal, Bibi”: Thousands Rally for Hostage Release, One Year After Truce

On November 30, 2024, thousands of Israelis gathered across the country to mark the one-year anniversary of the ceasefire that briefly allowed the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The rally, particularly large in Tel Aviv, called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to negotiate a deal to bring back the remaining hostages. The protests highlighted frustrations with the ongoing war and government inaction in securing a deal to end it and release those still in captivity.

Around 2,000 people attended the main rally at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where both former hostages and relatives of those still held in Gaza spoke out. Among them was Thomas Hand, whose 9-year-old daughter Emily was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, and released after 50 days. Speaking in English, Hand shared his daughter’s traumatic experience, including seeing dead bodies along the road during her abduction. He urged Netanyahu to act: “Make a deal, Bibi. You’ve had more than enough time to get the job done.”

Emily, who was also present, expressed sympathy for the hostages still in Gaza, saying, “I know what it’s like to be there. I don’t want to imagine what it’s like for those who are still there.” Emily had been held alongside slain hostage Itai Svirsky and Noa Argamani, who was rescued by Israeli forces in June.

Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack left 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 kidnapped, many of whom are still held by Hamas. The rally followed a Channel 12 poll showing 71% of Israelis supported a deal to end the war in exchange for the hostages’ release, with just 15% opposing such a deal.

The mother of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander also addressed the crowd after a propaganda video of her son was released by Hamas. She described the horror of seeing her son pleading for help and called on Netanyahu to take action to secure his release.

Anti-government activist Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan has been held in Gaza for over a year, criticized Netanyahu’s refusal to negotiate a ceasefire for hostages while agreeing to one with Hezbollah in Lebanon. “How can it be that Netanyahu signs a deal for the north but prevents a deal for the south?” she asked.

The rally also saw calls for international intervention, with Yehuda Cohen, the father of another hostage, urging U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to pressure Netanyahu into making a deal. “My son Nimrod and all the hostages are crying out to us from the tunnels. They cannot survive the winter. We must save them now.”

The protests, while widespread, notably did not take place in Caesarea, Netanyahu’s coastal hometown, after it became clear that he no longer spends time there. The rally underscored growing public frustration with the government’s handling of the hostage situation, as negotiations for a broader truce in Gaza remain stalled.

As of late November, 97 hostages remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead. Since the ceasefire last year, Hamas has released 105 civilians, with additional hostages rescued by Israeli troops. However, the situation remains dire, with many calling for an urgent resolution before it is too late.

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