Family members of hostages still in Gaza held an open-air banquet on Wednesday to mark Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and call for the release of their loved ones. The demonstration took place near Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in the coastal town of Caesarea.
Protesters at the event placed fake headstones along a long banquet table to symbolize the hostages who have lost their lives in Gaza. The banquet table was adorned with a tablecloth bearing the slogan: “Let the old year and its abandonment come to an end.”
Organizers of the event stated that they were holding the banquet to express their “refusal to celebrate Rosh Hashanah” in the current “reckless reality.” They highlighted the fact that 101 hostages are still missing, and every attempt at a deal is being thwarted by the Israeli government and its leader.
As night fell, a crowd gathered and began chanting loudly, demanding the release of the hostages. The Israeli flag was lowered to half-staff at a local cemetery during the event. Family members also lit a sign with the Hebrew word for “hope” as a symbol of their unwavering optimism.
