"Bring them home now": Billboards hung in Israel calls for hostage release as war with Hamas clocks 6 months

By Ayushi Agarwal
Tel Aviv [Israel], April 7 : In a poignant display of solidarity and urgency, Israel's capital city has been decked up with billboards bearing the faces of hostages held by Hamas since the October 7 attack.
The visuals feature images of those still in captivity, alongside the rallying cry, "Bring them home now," serving as a stark reminder of the prolonged ordeal endured by these individuals and their families.
Visuals from Israel's Ben-Gurion airport and around the city show pictures of hostages held by Hamas following the October 7th attack.
Six months have elapsed since Hamas launched a brutal onslaught on Israel, resulting in widespread devastation and loss of life. Despite the passage of time, 134 hostages remain in Hamas' captivity, their fate hanging in the balance amidst ongoing efforts to secure their release.
The Israel Defence Forces have withdrawn all ground troops from the southern Gaza Strip after a long four-month fight in the Khan Younis area, reported The Times of Israel.
As the country marked six months of war against Hamas, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) published new data on its operations in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Lebanon, highlighting everything from the number of terror operatives killed to the number of sites struck.
According to the data, more than 13,000 Hamas operatives and members of other terror groups have been killed by the IDF in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war, in addition to some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7, when gunmen rampaged through southern communities, massacring some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 253 to Gaza.
The data presented by the IDF further stated that the military has killed five Hamas brigade commanders and those of an equivalent rank, as well as more than 20 battalion commanders.
Since October 7, in the West Bank, the IDF said that the troops have arrested more than 3,700 Palestinians, including more than 1,600 affiliated with Hamas.
Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon has emphasised the importance of focusing on those still held captive, sharing a poignant image of an infant who has spent six months in captivity.
"Today is 6 months to #October7massacre. There are endless horrible images from that day but I prefer concentrating on who we can still save. Baby Kfir Bibas is 6 months in captivity!! #BringThemAllHomeNOW Pic from @bengurionairpor. Travellers wrote him and left cards," the Israeli envoy said in a post on X.
As Israel grapples with the ongoing repercussions of the October 7 attack, the nation remains steadfast in its commitment to securing the safe return of all hostages held by Hamas. With billboards at Ben-Gurion Airport serving as a poignant reminder of the urgency of this mission, the call to "Bring them home now" echoes louder than ever before.