A whole lot of individuals gathered in Manhattan’s Central Park on Sunday to carry one in every of their greatest rallies but calling for the entire remaining hostages in Gaza to be freed.
Former captive Ilana Gritzewsky, 31, who was launched after 55 days in captivity, mentioned Israel, the US and all concerned within the negotiations should do no matter they will to stick with it the cease-fire deal and convey dwelling the remaining hostages, together with her boyfriend, Matan Zangauker, after greater than 506 days in captivity.
“I can’t cease fascinated with every of the kidnapped. Can’t cease fascinated with my Matan, and till we convey all of them dwelling, nothing will cease,” she informed the group.
Gritzewsky and the opposite audio system, who included survivors of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist assault and relations of hostages, led the group with chants of “Carry them dwelling!” and “You aren’t alone!”
The previous captive recounted the horrors of the fear assault, when Hamas operatives barged into her dwelling in Kibbutz Nir Oz within the early morning of Oct. 7, 2023, and kidnapped her and Matan.
“Inside minutes, terror was upon us,” Gritzewsky recalled. “Perceive my physique might have returned, however the deepest half with me continues to be there.
“The world doesn’t perceive the magnitude of this trauma, with the kidnapped clinging to our emotional torment,” she mentioned.
Orna and Ronen Neutra, the mother and father of slain hostage and New York native Omer Neutra, thanked the Biden and Trump administrations for securing the cease-fire deal and referred to as for the truce to proceed till their son’s stays might be returned dwelling.
“We misplaced our hope to see Omer alive,” mentioned one in every of his grieving mother and father, who’re from Plainview, LI.
“However Omer deserves a dignified burial, and we deserve a spot to mourn. Carry them dwelling now,” the stricken kin added.
Omer is without doubt one of the no less than 36 hostages believed to now be lifeless and whose our bodies are set to be handed over in the course of the remaining part of the already strained ceasefire deal.
Negotiations over the second part of the deal, which might see all remaining residing hostages freed, is at present on pause after Israel halted its launch of Palestinian prisoners over the weekend.
The Jewish state accused Hamas of violating the deal when it launched the physique of an unknown Gazan lady rather than Israeli mother Shiri Bibas on Thursday, with the slain mom’s physique returned by Friday night time.
“These previous weeks of this, particularly these previous few days, have been insufferable,” US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) mentioned on the rally, one in every of a slew which have been held on the park over the months to point out help for the hostages.
“I’ll at all times arise right here, not solely in hoping however combating for a world the place the hostages are introduced dwelling and the place Oct. 7 can by no means be repeated,” Torres mentioned to the group.
Jacob Lew, the US ambassador to Israel, mentioned the negotiations should stress a future for Gaza the place Hamas is not in cost and can’t pose a risk to the Jewish state.
“The folks of Israel deserve safety,” Lew mentioned.
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