Marchers call for the release of hostages in Gaza during the annual Israeli parade in New York City, 2 June 2024. Photo: Courtesy Jcrc-NY/via JTA
It has been 600 days since 58 hostages were taken by Hamas during the tragic events of 7 October 2023. About 20 of them, according to Israeli sources, are still alive and are still being held in appalling conditions in Gaza, deprived of sun, water, food and basic necessities.
According to The Jerusalem Post, 148 hostages were returned: 105 during the first ceasefire in 2023, and another 30 this year. Eight were rescued by the Israeli army, and five were released outside the ceasefire. But the rescue attempts were not always successful: six hostages were killed – three by mistake by the Israeli army, and three executed by militants.
Israel is now losing hope of releasing the remaining hostages by force. Instead, efforts are focused on implementing the so-called Witkoff plan, an initiative by Special Envoy Donald Trump that calls for the release of 10 hostages, a 60-day truce, and a complete cessation of the war after the second stage of release.
However, Hamas interprets the plan differently: it declares its readiness to release only five prisoners, demands a 70-day truce and US guarantees to end the war.
Israeli society, which has been living in a state of war for 600 days, is increasingly demanding change. Military experts acknowledge that Hamas is now exhausted and does not pose a direct threat. Therefore, the key task now is not the further destruction of Gaza, but the release of hostages and the cessation of hostilities.
“We can live with a weakened Hamas in the south, but we cannot live with a country that is sinking further into war, with hostages in dungeons and increasing international isolation,” the Israeli press notes.
