After weeks without a central hostage families protest in Tel Aviv as a result of the security situation, masses of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square last night to call for the release of the 100 or so Israelis and foreigners still held in Gaza. The protest was held just days after news broke that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had been killed in Gaza, and many speakers called on Israel to use Sinwar’s death to expedite the hostages’ return.
Eli Shtivi spoke of his 28-year-old son Idan Shtivi, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival last year. Earlier this month, on the one-year anniversary of Idan’s kidnapping, the family was told that Idan had been killed on October 7, 2023. His body is still held in Gaza.
“Idan is still there, and there are living hostages,” Shtivi told the crowd. “It’s not too late to bring them back. I’ve spoked with everyone, on the right and the left, and everyone wants the hostages home.”
“Now that Sinwar has been eliminated, we call on the government and on the world—bring the hostages back home,” he continued. “Now, the hostages come before anything else. They are the thing that’s needed for victory. There is no victory until the last hostage. We need to use this opportunity to return them before it’s too late.”
Addressing Sinwar, Shtivi said, “You thought you would succeed to separate us, and you didn’t succeed. We are one heart, and the hostage families are together. What unites us is not the death of our enemies but the return of our hostages and our unity.”
Simona Steinbrecher, mother of Doron Steinbrecher, who was kidnapped from her Kfar Aza apartment on October 7, 2023, also spoke at the rally.
“I want to thank the IDF and the security forces for the elimination of the one responsible for October 7,” Steinbrecher said. “I’m not happy. I’m hopeful for a change in the situation. I call on the government not to miss this opportunity. Leverage this situation for one deal that will return everyone.”
Meirav Tal, who was taken hostage together with the body of her murdered partner Yaya Yaakovi, spoke about her own experiences in captivity and called for Yaakovi’s body to be returned.
“I was there for 53 days during which the terrorists took everything from me: my control over my body, my decisions, when I ate, showered, sat or stood,” she said. “Only my thoughts they didn’t take from me. I have no words to describe what the hostages are experiencing. It’s as if they’re there, but they’re living, breathing. Now, after the IDF eliminated Sinwar the psychopath, it’s time to bring them back.”
This article was translated from Hebrew by Leah Schwartz.
