Across Israel, people are remembering the victims of the Hamas attack, and relatives of those abducted continue to call for a negotiated solution. Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated: The war will not end before a “final victory.”
The 24-hour rally began on Saturday evening in the so-called Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to commemorate the fate of the hostages still remaining in the Gaza Strip. One of the first speakers: the German-Israeli Raz Ben Ami. She was kidnapped and released. Not her husband Ohad. She says: “45 days have now passed since I was freed from being held hostage in the Gaza Strip. As long as Ohad doesn’t come home again, I still feel like I’m still a hostage.”
On the 100th day since the October 7 Hamas attack, events are taking place across Israel to commemorate the terrorist attack. In the morning, many employees in companies, shops, cafés and schools stopped work for 100 minutes in solidarity with the hostages.
The families of those abducted want to increase the pressure on the Israeli government. They demand a negotiated solution to free the abductees. According to organizers, around 120,000 people came to the mass rally at the start of the memorial events in Tel Aviv last night.
Former hostage: “Join us!”
85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz, who was also held hostage and was released, appealed to the population: “I call on the entire people of Israel to join our march and raise their voices to demand that all hostages be released. No one is allowed there “People of Israel, you are strong, you can do this! Join us!”
Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the people yesterday evening and called for a continuation of the fighting in the Gaza Strip. “Nobody will stop us,” said Israel’s prime minister. “100 days have passed since that terrible day when our citizens were massacred and kidnapped. We will continue the war to the end, to final victory, until all our goals are achieved.”
Fierce fighting continues
Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi addressed the Israelis in a video message and defended the previous strategy. The fight against Hamas opens up opportunities to free the hostages, explained Halevi.
The fierce fighting in the Gaza Strip continues, the death toll is rising and a ceasefire that could alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian civilian population is not in sight.
The situation in the Israeli border area with Lebanon remains tense. There was another exchange of fire last night. The Israeli army said a group of terrorists crossed the border and fired on a military patrol. The soldiers returned fire and killed four attackers. There are repeated clashes between the army and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia on Israel’s northern border.
Tim Aßmann, ARD Berlin, currently Tel Aviv, tagesschau, January 14, 2024 11:12 a.m