Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew on Saturday urged swift action to secure a hostage deal with Hamas.
Addressing a rally in Hostage Square, Tel Aviv, Lew emphasized the growing urgency, stating, “Every passing day raises the stakes. The time for delay has run out—this is a matter of life and death.”
Mandy Damari, the mother of Hamas hostage Emily Damari, delivered a heartfelt plea at the rally, calling for immediate efforts to secure her daughter’s release. She urged the British government to take decisive action, highlighting the harsh conditions Emily endures in captivity.
Approximately 1,000 protesters gathered in Tel Aviv to demand a hostage deal, an end to the war and the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. Other protests took place across the country.
Following the official rally, some protesters lit a bonfire and flares and refused to clear the road. Police intervened, declaring the protest illegal and extinguishing the fire. Minor clashes ensued between officers and demonstrators, resulting in one arrest for disorderly conduct.
According to Israeli estimates, there are 98 hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, including 94 abducted during the Oct. 7 attacks.
Of the 251 hostages taken on Oct. 7, 157 have been returned or rescued, and Hamas is believed to be holding 36 bodies, 34 of them taken on Oct. 7 and the remaining two belonging to IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who were kidnapped in 2014.
