A march of thousands of Israelis demanding the release of hostages held in Gaza reached Jerusalem today, Saturday, as negotiators prepare to resume talks in Cairo for a ceasefire that includes a prisoner exchange agreement with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. A stream of participants flowed onto a winding highway leading to Jerusalem, arriving in the city at sunset, led by the families of the hostages taken by Hamas militants during their deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7.
The march took four days to reach Jerusalem after starting from a site attacked in October, with participants raising Israeli flags, yellow balloons, and pictures of the hostages. More protesters are expected to join in a rally outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence.
A participant in the march named Danny Cooperman stated, "Our march is to support the families of the kidnapped, and we hope they will be released soon and safe. We pray for them with every step we take."
It is expected that ceasefire talks related to Gaza will resume in the Egyptian capital tomorrow, Sunday. U.S. President Joe Biden expressed hope that a ceasefire could be reached by the time Ramadan begins. The release of dozens of other hostages might be possible if this agreement is achieved.
Yair Moses, whose 79-year-old father Gadi was kidnapped from the Nir Oz gathering, said, "This is the only humanitarian thing that can happen. They must come home. That's all."
