Israeli Hostage Families Protest Urging Negotiations... Attempt to Enter Gaza Strip

The families of Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian armed group Hamas reportedly attempted to enter the Gaza Strip during a protest urging negotiations for their release, according to the Times of Israel on the 29th (local time).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the morning of the same day, the hostage families gathered near the border of the Gaza Strip, calling on the Israeli government to negotiate a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Some family members tried to cross the fence installed at the Gaza Strip border but gave up after being stopped by the Israeli military.

They appealed for the Israeli government to abandon its stance of stationing troops in the buffer zone at the Gaza-Egypt border known as the "Philadelphi Corridor" and to actively engage in negotiations with Hamas.

The Israeli military announced on the 27th that it had rescued hostage Kaid Farhan Al-Qadi (52) from a tunnel in the Gaza Strip. Since the war broke out last October due to Hamas's surprise attack, there have been eight cases of hostage rescues through military operations over the past ten months.

Of the 251 Israelis abducted during last year's surprise attack, 104 are still held by Hamas, with 34 presumed dead. The rest were either released during a temporary ceasefire in November last year, rescued by Israeli military operations, or found deceased.