"We will walk to Gaza": Mother of hostage during protest march outside Netanyahu's office
Nov 18, 2023
Tel Aviv [Israel], November 18 : The family members of the Israeli hostages reached outside Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem, and stressed that if needed, they would go to Gaza, The Times of Israel reported.
Some 30,000 people joined the multi-day march to the capital on Saturday, including the family members of the Israeli hostages held by the Hamas terror group, accompanied by thousands of Israelis from Tel Aviv to the PM's office.
They demanded Israel to do everything it could to bring the hostages home immediately, according to The Times of Israel.
The mother of one of the hostages expressed pain and said her body hurts but nothing hurts like her heart.
Orin, the mother of Eden Zacharia, who is being held hostage in Gaza, said, "We've been walking for five days without stopping and my legs hurt and my shoulders and everything hurts, but nothing hurts like my heart does, which really really hurts."
"Even if we need to walk to Gaza we will walk to Gaza. Wherever we need to go we will go, we won't give up on our children," she added.
Kobi Ben Ami, who has two family members held in Gaza, told the outlet that the families were "begging" ministers to meet with them and tell them what they planned to do to return the hostages. Many of the relatives of those held in Gaza have said they feel abandoned by the government.
Ben Ami said the families were enormously grateful for all the members of the public who had supported the families on their march.
The Times of Israel reported that the march entered the capital at around 3 p.m. ahead of a protest at the Prime Minister's Office at approximately 4 p.m. and as the marchers entered the capital, they were greeted by residents of the city holding yellow balloons printed with the words "bring them home."
At the conclusion of the protest, the families were to return to Tel Aviv and meet with war cabinet minister Benny Gantz and cabinet observer Minister Gadi Eisenkot.
As reported earlier, a statement on behalf of the families said they had not received a response to their request for the meeting from the other war cabinet ministers--Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and cabinet observer Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, The Times of Israel reported.
