Politics Mass demonstration in Israel for hostage deal
At a mass demonstration in Israel, participants demanded the release of all hostages from the embattled Gaza Strip.
03.08.2025, 02:55
SDA
The Islamist Hamas is using the hostages as "living starvation experiments", the Times of Israel quoted the brother of Evjatar David, who is being held in the Gaza Strip. In a previously published Hamas propaganda video, the 24-year-old, emaciated to the bone, can be seen digging his "own grave" in a narrow tunnel.
"End this nightmare that has been going on for 666 days. Sign a comprehensive agreement that will bring back all 50 hostages and end the fighting," demanded the forum of the hostages' relatives to the government and spoke of 60,000 participants. According to the Times of Israel, people also took to the streets in other places in Israel. The newspaper spoke of one of the highest numbers of participants in recent weeks.
According to the newspaper, Evyatar's brother called on the Israeli government and world leaders, in particular US President Donald Trump, to secure the release of the hostages "by any means necessary". At one point in the almost five-minute Hamas propaganda video, Evjatar said to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "I have been completely abandoned by you, my prime minister, by you, who should be taking care of me and all the other prisoners."
In its propaganda language, Hamas refers to its hostages as "prisoners". David's family had agreed to the publication of the video clip. According to Israel, 50 hostages are still being held by Hamas and other groups. At least 20 of them are said to still be alive. Months of efforts to bring about a ceasefire through indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas and to secure the release of the hostages are considered to have all but failed for the time being.
