The Israeli Defense Ministry headquarters once stood as a symbol of power over Tel Aviv, but for the families of the hostages now gathered beneath it, the building has become a focus of fear.
Relatives filled the square opposite the 17-story Matcal Tower on Saturday, calling on a state founded to protect Jews to respect that treaty and do everything it can to save prisoners in Gaza.
The escalation of Israel’s assault on the enclave fueled fears that its relatives were at risk of tank shells and air force bombs or retaliation from Hamas kidnappers, and raised nagging questions: Had the government given up all hope of negotiating releases? What strategy did the army pursue to rescue hostages? Was there even a strategy?
“Is there a plan? We do not know it. “That’s what we want to find out,” said Haim Rubinstein, spokesman for the “Hostages and Missing Families” forum, as families and supporters met and hugged in the blazing sun.
“We also want to know the significance of what happened last night,” Rubinstein said, referring to Israeli troops’ ground invasion of Gaza and the bombing of 150 Hamas underground targets – including tunnels housing some of the 229 hostages who Israel believes are in the Gaza Strip.
After three weeks of complaints that the government had failed to inform relatives about the crisis or even meet them, the protest put pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to meet them on Saturday evening.
It was unclear what assurances he might give, as there appears to be no plan to negotiate prisoner exchanges or halt the offensive, which Hamas says is a condition for any releases.
“We have attacked above ground and underground, we have attacked terrorists of all ranks and everywhere,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a video statement. “The instructions to the emergency services are clear: the operation will continue until a new order is issued.”
To the families near the Defense Ministry, who held up pictures of relatives or tied yellow ribbons around benches and trees, it was an ominous statement. Last week, Hamas said about 50 hostages had died in the bombardment.
“Every day the hostages are not released, they are in danger,” said Zeev Scherman, whose 19-year-old nephew Ron Scherman was kidnapped in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. That day, the government abandoned Israelis living near Gaza and now risked abandoning the captured survivors, Scherman said.
Zeev Scherman holds a placard with the image of a kidnapped relative, Ron Scheerman, at a rally in Tel Aviv. Photo: Rory Carroll/The Gaurdian“Why this offensive? No rush. Hamas wasn’t going anywhere.” He advocated exchanging the hostages for thousands of Palestinians, including Hamas fighters, in Israeli prisons. “All prisoners for all hostages.”
Shelly, 62, who was holding a placard reading “Life Matters,” echoed that sentiment. “The government owes us after failing to protect us. We should focus on the hostages – we shouldn’t eat or sleep until we get them home. Hostages first. There is always time for war.”
Shirley, 56, pleaded with the Netanyahu government to prioritize prisoners. “It is a second Holocaust. “Who knows what will happen to our babies?” The more intense the bombing of Gaza, the greater the concern of relatives, she said. “It’s been three weeks. We can’t take it anymore.”
Shelly (left) and Dahlia at a rally in Tel Aviv in support of the relatives of Israeli hostages. Photo: Rory Carroll/The ObserverFor Yarid Shabibi, the complexity of the conflict dissolved into a burning longing for the return of her 26-year-old cousin Noa Argamani, whose abduction on a motorcycle was filmed and widely shared on the Internet. “We just want her here, that’s all.”
The families and their supporters expressed a wide range of attitudes toward Palestinians. “We want the Palestinians to have a state. We are afraid for the people of Gaza, we don’t want them to suffer,” said Dahlia, 62.
Ayelet Samerano, whose son Jonathan was kidnapped, shook as she spoke. “My son, my little son. These animals took him away.
“They killed children in front of their parents and killed parents in front of their children.” Sleep is elusive, Samerano said. “And when I wake up, I’ll be back in the nightmare.”
Ayelet Samerano wears a T-shirt with her kidnapped son Jonathan at a rally in Tel Aviv. Photo: Rory Carroll/The ObserverShe accused the government of leaving her relatives in an information vacuum, but expressed confidence in the decision to attack Gaza. “I’m not worried about my army. My army knows exactly what to do.”
The “Hostages and Missing Families” forum is an umbrella term for groups of relatives who organize themselves via WhatsApp.
In a strongly worded statement early Saturday, Netanyahu and his cabinet were sharply criticized for leaving families in the dark while escalating operations in Gaza. “That night was the worst of all nights,” it was said. “The families are worried about the fate of their loved ones and are waiting for an explanation. Every minute that passes feels like an eternity.”
The forum did not call for a ceasefire or prisoner exchange. “We call on the army and the government to bring our people back,” said Rubinstein, the spokesman. “We don’t tell them how to do it. We just say, ‘Tell us what the plan is’.”