{"id":119286,"date":"2025-02-18T17:00:55","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T15:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=119286"},"modified":"2025-02-18T14:25:21","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T12:25:21","slug":"18-00-97","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=119286","title":{"rendered":"Israel Marks 500 Days Since Oct. 7 Attack With Fasts, Rallies Amid News of Early Release of Four Hostage Bodies"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>Israel Marks 500 Days Since Oct. 7 Attack With Fasts, Rallies Amid News of Early Release of Four Hostage Bodies<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n

Debbie Weiss<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\"Demonstrators hold signs and pictures of hostages, as relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas protest demanding the release of all hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel, Feb. 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS\/Itai Ron<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n

Israelis on Monday held rallies, blocked roads, and observed a fast to mark 500 days since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas invaded southern Israel, massacred 1,200 people, and abducted 251 hostages into Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n

The grim milestone coincided with reports that the\u00a0bodies of four deceased hostages would be returned<\/a>\u00a0on Thursday, two days earlier than the next expected round of captive releases, slated for Saturday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hostage families and supporters gathered in major cities. In Tel Aviv, demonstrators blocked Namir Road, holding banners demanding the immediate return of those still held captive. Others gathered outside the Hostages and Missing Families Forum tent in central Jerusalem before marching to Israel\u2019s parliament, the Knesset, where relatives of the hostages pleaded for urgent action. A 500-minute fast, symbolizing the 500 days in captivity, began at 11:40 am and concluded at 8 pm with a rally in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, attended by thousands.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Israelis on Feb. 17, 2025, marking 500 days since Hamas\u2019s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Photo: Paulina Patimer<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n

In a screened video message at the rally, Iair Horn made his first public statement since being released on Saturday\u00a0after 498 days in Hamas captivity<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re out of time. We must return them now,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Horn broke down in tears as he mentioned his brother Eitan, who remains in captivity and is not pegged for release until the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal. \u201cBring back my brother and all of the hostages.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On Thursday, Israel is set to receive the remains of four hostages, with their identities expected to be revealed that morning. Israel\u2019s KAN public broadcaster cited Israeli officials as saying that preparations were underway for their bodies to be identified and processed at the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv. The four hostages were believed to have been killed in captivity, though the exact circumstances of their deaths remain unclear.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Saturday, Hamas will release three living hostages, followed by the return of four more bodies next Thursday, Feb. 27. In exchange for the bodies, Israel will release all women and minors under 19 who were arrested in Gaza since the Oct 7 onslaught.<\/span><\/p>\n

Between Feb. 22 and March 2, Hamas is also scheduled to free the final three living hostages from the\u00a0first, six-week phase of the ceasefire deal<\/a>, including Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu, who have been held in Gaza for over a decade.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hamas is believed to be holding the bodies of at least 36 people, out of a total of 70, including soldiers and civilians killed on Oct. 7 and others who died in captivity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Freed hostage Ohad Ben Ami, who was released earlier this month appearing severely malnourished, urged mass participation in the demonstrations. \u201cWhat kept me going was knowing people were fighting for me,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Levi Ben-Baruch, whose nephew Edan Alexander remains in captivity, recited the words of Jewish fast-day prayers \u2014 \u201cPlease save us!\u201d \u2014 as he joined others in fasting. \u201cWe fast for 500 minutes,\u201d he said, \u201cbut they have already fasted for 500 days.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Jimmy Miller, cousin of Shiri Bibas. Photo: Lior Rotstein<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n

At Kibbutz Be\u2019eri, one of the communities devastated in the Oct. 7 attack, residents held a gathering in memory of those taken hostage from their community and killed in Gaza. Nira Sharabi, whose husband Yossi Sharabi was killed in captivity, said that while the focus remained on bringing home the living, Israel also had an obligation to return the bodies of those who had not survived. \u201cUntil they are buried here, we can\u2019t say goodbye,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nira\u2019s brother-in-law, Eli Sharabi, who was also released this month, only discovered after his release that his wife and two daughters were\u00a0murdered in their home on Oct. 7<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maccabit Mayer, whose relatives Ziv and Gali Berman are among the hostages, said each day felt like an eternity. \u201cDay 500 is just like every other day,\u201d she said. \u201cExcept that it\u2019s one day longer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI too want to begin the journey of rehabilitation and healing like all those who have returned from there,\u201d she added.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shay Dickmann, whose cousin, Carmel Gat, was killed by Hamas terrorists while in captivity, recounted how his grandmother languished during the Holocaust after all her family members had perished, and \u201cwaited for the world\u2019s nations to decide when she would be freed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe survived and immigrated to Israel, helping build a country so she would never have to wait again. And today, for 500 days, our people are waiting. We cannot let them wait for the world\u2019s nations to decide if they will survive or be murdered,\u201d Dickmann said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Israel Marks 500 Days Since Oct. 7 Attack With Fasts, Rallies Amid News of Early Release of Four Hostage Bodies Debbie Weiss Demonstrators hold signs and pictures of hostages, as relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas protest demanding the release of all hostages in Tel Aviv, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[26,24],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119286"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=119286"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":119336,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119286\/revisions\/119336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=119286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=119286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=119286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}