For nearly two years, countless Israelis have converged on Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square every Saturday night, their collective voice echoing a singular, urgent demand: bring all captives held in Gaza back home, ‘Now!’ This past Saturday, many prepared to join the familiar rally, but with a profound, almost unimaginable, hope that it might truly be the last.
Under the terms of a newly implemented cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which began at noon on Friday, all living hostages in Gaza are expected to be released and returned to Israel within 72 hours. Israeli authorities currently believe that 20 individuals remain alive among those held by Hamas.
“Our struggle is not over and will not end until the last hostage returns home!” declared the Hostages Families Forum. This influential organization has tirelessly campaigned for a hostage deal and represents many of the affected families. They announced that the main rally in Tel Aviv was scheduled to commence at 8:15 p.m. local time.
The group added that “The entire nation holds its breath in anticipation” of the hostages’ return, a sentiment palpable across the country.
Organizers projected an attendance of hundreds of thousands of people, expected to fill Hostages Square and the surrounding streets. Parallel demonstrations were also planned for other significant locations throughout Israel, including a prominent square in Jerusalem, situated near the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Throughout the day, crowds had already begun to gather in Hostages Square. According to reports from Israeli media, Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Mideast envoy, and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, both instrumental in negotiating the cease-fire agreement, were anticipated to visit the square on Saturday.
An integral part of the cease-fire agreement stipulates that the remains of any hostages who tragically died while in captivity in Gaza would also be released. However, Israeli authorities acknowledge that locating and returning the deceased individuals to Israel will likely be a more protracted process.
The government has indicated that the remains of 26 hostages are believed to still be in Gaza, with the status of two other individuals yet to be definitively confirmed. These individuals are among the approximately 250 people who were abducted during the devastating Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. That attack claimed the lives of about 1,200 people and was the catalyst for the ongoing war.
In the months leading up to the recent cease-fire deal, many Israelis had expressed a growing sense of despondency and doubt regarding the effectiveness of the weekly rallies in influencing the government’s actions.
Despite these feelings, many continued to show up week after week. They asserted that, at the very least, their presence served to keep the plight of the hostages at the forefront of the public consciousness and to offer unwavering support to the captives’ families, ensuring they knew they were not alone in their ordeal.
The persistent rallies garnered attention from President Trump, who in September unveiled a proposal aimed at ending the conflict, which ultimately paved the way for the current cease-fire agreement. He appeared to be genuinely touched by the appeals of the demonstrators, who increasingly looked to him and his leadership as their sole hope for the safe return of their loved ones, with many holding banners specifically calling for his personal intervention.
Standing alongside Mr. Netanyahu at the White House late last month, presenting the outline of the proposal, Mr. Trump referenced the rallies, noting, “They have my name up. They like me.”
He further elaborated, “They say two things: please get the hostages back and please end the war. They’ve had it.”
Typically, the Saturday rallies feature poignant speeches delivered by former hostages who were released during two previous brief cease-fires, as well as by the anguished relatives of those still held in Gaza. These moving addresses are often interspersed with performances by some of Israel’s most renowned musicians, adding a layer of emotional resonance to the gatherings.