Families of Israeli hostages in Gaza protest in Tel Aviv

By Said Amouri

TEL AVIV, Israel (AA) - Hundreds of relatives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza protested Saturday in the center of Tel Aviv to demand their return.

The official Israeli broadcasting authority reported that “hundreds of families of the hostages in Gaza gathered in central Tel Aviv to demand the government to immediately conclude a deal to release them."

The families affirmed that they are “ready to escalate their protests at any moment to exert pressure on the government to negotiate a deal with Hamas in Gaza,” it said.

In its Oct. 7 attack on Israeli settlements, the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, killed around 1,200 Israelis and injured 5,431, with at least 239 hostages taken. Dozens were exchanged with Israel during a seven-day humanitarian pause.

Israel maintains that dozens of Israelis are still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, while Hamas has called for the release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages.

Since the attack by Hamas, Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip, killing at least 20,258 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 53,688 others, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins with half of the coastal territory's housing stock damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million people displaced within the densely-populated enclave amid shortages of food and clean water.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala