After four-day march to Jerusalem, thousands demand hostage deal now

Thousands more also gathered Saturday night in Tel Aviv, slamming the government for its inaction.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Hostage families led a large demonstration Saturday night as the culmination of their four-day march from Tel Aviv in support of an immediate deal with Hamas to return all the abductees.

Thousands of people, many bussed in by the protest organizers, gathered in front of the prime minister’s office to demand an end to the hostages’ ordeal.

Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, praised the “incredible public” that joined the families on their march, who “understand that these are more critical moments and that we deserve to get our families back now.”

Her 24-year-old son was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz along with his partner, Ilana Gritzewsky, who was released in the first hostage deal in late November.

Recently renewed hostage negotiations have given hope to the families, but many were angered by the prime minister’s declaration of red lines last week.

These included Israel’s right to continue the war until all its goals are achieved, meaning Hamas’ destruction as a military and governing force, continued control over the Philadelphi corridor and Rafah crossing so that no more arms can be smuggled in from the Egyptian-Gaza border, and the vetting of all Gazans who want to return to northern Gaza in order to prevent Hamas terrorists from reorganizing there to threaten Israel again.

Saying that she has been in touch with some of the Israeli negotiators, Zangauker said she knows “we are close to a deal,” and that “We will not let [Netanyahu] torpedo the deal — we will not allow it.”

Before the rally began, Zangauker’s sister Natalie was lowered in a harness to the side of the Chords Bridge at the entrance to the capital, where she spray-painted in large, red letters, “Stop torpedoing!” in an echo of her mother’s words.

After the speeches, hundreds of protestors blockaded a major Jerusalem intersection, banging on drums and chanting, “We won’t abandon them!”

There, Zangauker’s brother Or criticized the IDF’s reported attempt earlier in the day to eliminate Hamas’ No. 2 in the Gaza Strip, Muhammad Deif.

“Is this the time — when the government has an opportunity [to return the hostages] — to assassinate high-ranking terrorists? Is this the time? This distances the deal,” he told the smaller crowd.

It is still unknown whether the airstrike was successful in killing Deif.

His mother agreed, telling Channel 12, “We’re all for settling the score with the Hamas murders, but not at the cost of our loved ones’ lives and our chances to get them home.”

“If Muhammad Deif was eliminated with a hostage deal on the table, and Netanyahu doesn’t get up now and say he’s willing to take the deal, even at the price of ending the war, that means he’s given up on my Matan and on the rest of the hostages,” she added.

Smaller, similar rallies took place simultaneously across the country, while thousands of anti-government protestors demonstrated in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv as they have for several weeks in a row.

Among other signs, people in the square held a huge banner, the size of a bus, with the words, “Netanyahu is finishing the hostages.”

Former hostage Andrey Kozlov, who was rescued last month along with three others held in apartments in Nuseirat, told them that “Every day in Gaza was a living hell” and what gave him strength was seeing the demonstrations to bring the hostages home.

He said that his Hamas captors were happy to show clips of the protests, as to them it symbolized Israel’s internal weakness and division.

If the conditions of his captivity were so bad, he could not imagine what other hostages were currently undergoing in Hamas tunnels, Kozlov said.

There was “nothing more important” than freeing them, he said, begging Netanyahu to do whatever was necessary to see a deal through.