Nearly 100 days after about 240 people were abducted from Israel to the Gaza Strip, relatives are calling for more decisive efforts to free them. The Hostage Families Forum built a replica of a short stretch of tunnel in central Tel Aviv on Saturday. Hamas is reportedly holding just over 100 hostages in such underground facilities.
On Saturday evening, the forum wanted to increase pressure with a 24-hour demonstration to secure the release of the kidnapped. Sunday marks 100 days since Israel waged its war against Islamist Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip.
A massacre by Hamas and other extremist organizations in southern Israel that left 1,200 dead and the kidnapping of civilians and soldiers into the Gaza Strip led to the Gaza War on October 7. Since then, the Israeli military has launched massive airstrikes and a ground offensive against Hamas.
Violent liberation is considered impracticable
The Hostage Families Forum uses the space in front of the Tel Aviv Art Museum for exhibitions, installations and meetings to raise public awareness of the abductees.
Jair Keschet, a member of the Bibas family, said at the opening of the tunnel replica: “We have run out of time, we need them now.” Couple Shirin and Jarden Bibas (both 32) and their children, 4-year-old Ariel and 12-month-old Kfir, are among the hostages held by Hamas.
It is reportedly considered virtually impossible for the Israeli military to free those forcibly kidnapped. The tunnels built by Hamas run hundreds of kilometers throughout the Gaza Strip.
The Islamist organization’s fighters use them as underground command centers, retreat and storage areas, and transportation routes. The relatives of the hostages are pinning their hopes on a negotiated solution.
(dsc/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
