Family members and advocates of those kidnapped in Israel on the 7th of October have transitioned their regular demonstrations into a mournful observance this past Saturday. Their act of remembrance focused on a captive whose body was found in the Gaza Strip earlier in the week, causing an outcry among thousands of individuals attending an adjacent anti-government demonstration.
The Israeli defence forces confirmed on Saturday that they had regained the body of Elad Katzir, aged 47, in Khan Younis and transported him back home. The extremist organisation Islamic Jihad had seized Katzir from the Nir Oz kibbutz. During his time in custody, he appeared twice in video recordings and was killed in January by his kidnappers, as reported by the Israeli defence forces, though this claim remains unverified.
The revelation arrived on the cusp of the six-month mark of the conflict, which was commemorated on Sunday. It is anticipated that thousands will congregate in Israel for further demonstrations.
“We have been living a nightmare for the past six months”, shared Esther Buchstab, mother of Yagev Buchstab, 34, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nirim on October 7th. She spoke at the memorial in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday evening, and expressed, “We implore the government to do their utmost to negotiate a resolution, and ensure the living captives are returned for recovery and the deceased are brought back for burial.”
In the vicinity, at Democracy Square, thousands of anti-government demonstrators appealed to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to repatriate the remaining 130 hostages who have been missing since the 7 Oct event.
Upon the closure of the protest, a motorist ignored police commands and plunged his vehicle into the assembly of protestors, causing numerous injuries, according to police reports released on Telegram. The motive behind the driver’s action remains indeterminate and social media footage showed passengers in the vehicle shouting at the protestors.
Eran Herkevi, 66, an agricultural expert, expressed, “Terms like ‘Destroying Hamas’ and ‘absolute victory’ are hollow. There’s a genuine urgency in releasing the outstanding hostages, or else our community will never adequately recuperate.”
Sarit Perl, a 65-year-old retiree and mother to three soldiers presently serving in their second deployment round has added her voice to the growing call for Netanyahu’s impeachment and the need for fresh elections to find a new leader. “We need an impeachment, a successful rescue of all captives, and an election,” Perl declared.
Perl expressed her disapproval of Netanyahu, whose home in Jerusalem has become a hotbed for protests recently, including those that occurred last week. Perl believes that Netanyahu has never truly fulfilled his role as Prime Minister and accused him of intentionally undermining any chances of negotiating a successful deal. She asserted that nothing in Israel will ever return to normal as long as Netanyahu remains in power.
The plight of Israel’s hostages also has been brought to the forefront with the death of Katzir, one of the hostages. Sahar Shapira, 42, emphasised the urgent need for an agreement to repatriate the hostages and predicted more like Katzir would return likewise if nothing changes. Katzir had previously voiced his concerns in a 2009 interview following Israeli retaliation to Palestinian rocket attack, saying he felt no sense of victory and did not feel safe.
Israel reacted to the news of Katzir’s death with escalating tensions. This upcoming Sunday will see a vigil held in Jerusalem to protest six months of war, as announced in a statement by the families of the hostages. These families have been staging gatherings near the Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv every Saturday to pressure the government for a deal to bring their kin back home. These assemblies have often coincided with anti-government protests.
On the same Sunday, representatives from Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and Israeli officials will meet in Cairo to continue discussions on a hostage deal which has reached an impasse for several months. US President Joe Biden is applying pressure for the participants to agree on an immediate ceasefire and return of the hostages.
Noam Peri, offspring of 79-year-old Chaim Peri, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz and was reported by Hamas to be amongst the five captives slain in a Gaza airstrike by Israel in December, has called for the Israeli authorities to take action. This piece initially featured in The New York Times and is owned by The New York Times Company since 2024.