Protest and Hold Tent in Front of Israeli PM's House, Family of Hostage Victims: This Government and PM Disappoint Us

Protests demanding the release of Israelis held hostage in Gaza. (Wikimedia Commons/Oren Rozen)

JAKARTA - Hostage families and protesters blocked traffic outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence on Jalan Azza, Jerusalem on Sunday evening, demanding the government reach an agreement to ensure the return of the remaining hostages in Hamas captivity.

Organized by the Forum for Hostages and Families of the Missing, the demonstration went well, seeking to hold the government accountable for the lives of the hostages while avoiding direct condemnation.

Initially joined by only a handful of protesters, the crowd quickly grew in size, gathering around a busy drum circle, waving posters with the faces and names of those still held hostage by Hamas, while shouting: "The cabinet is responsible for the lives of the hostages! " as reported by The Times of Israel, January 22.

Orin Gantz, mother of Eden Zacharia, 28, who was kidnapped and murdered in Hamas custody, urged the prime minister and war cabinet to "surrender to ego."

"My daughter didn't just die, she died under our supervision," he said.

"Bibi Netanyahu, we believe in you. No one else can (return the hostages)," he continued.

"One hundred and seven days. They don't have time. In detention, there is no tomorrow. I know that because I received a body," he stressed.

Protests demand the release of Israeli citizens held hostage in Gaza. (Wikimedia Commons/Lizzy Shaanan Pikiwiki Israel)

Meanwhile, Gilad Korngold, the father of Tal Shoham who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be'eri and is still being held in Gaza, gave a fiery speech in front of the crowd. The women and children in Shoham's family, who were also kidnapped, were freed in late November as part of a temporary ceasefire deal brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States between Hamas and Israel.

"I live in (the border area of) Gaza. I understand exactly what is happening," he exclaimed.

"I traveled in (the border area of) Gaza which was empty, there were no planes in the sky. Wars like before did not continue, and they promised us that this war would free the hostages," he continued.

Meanwhile, Shay Binyamin, daughter of Ron Binyamin (53) who was kidnapped to Gaza while cycling on October 7 near Kibbutz Be'eri, said she was fed up with begging the government for the return of the hostages and was now demanding a deal.

"All the time we hear about more kidnap victims being killed as if we are in Russian roulette. I can't wait every day to hear which hostages have been executed," he growled.

As for Jon Polin, the father of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who Hamas kidnaped, it highlights the failure of the government and the prime minister to protect its citizens on October 7, when thousands of terrorists from Gaza carried out a killing spree against southern Israel.

"We all as citizens have a contract with the state," said Polin.

"In return for our services and taxes, we expect the government to keep us safe, but this government and the prime minister have failed us," he criticized.

Goldberg-Polin was kidnapped while camping with friends in the Gaza border area. The two stopped at the Supernova music festival near Re'im, and were attacked by Hamas along with other partygoers on the morning of October 7. About 360 people were massacred.

The last time Polin and his wife, Rachel Goldberg, saw their son was on video when Hamas militants loaded him into a pickup truck.

"We ask them (the government) to correct the failure of October 7. Bringing home 136 hostages in body bags cannot be considered part of victory," Polin concluded.

After the oration ended, the family set up a tent in front of PM Netanyahu's house. They intend to stay in tents until "the prime minister agrees to a deal to return the hostages," according to Forum for Hostages and Missing Families spokesman Haim Rubinstein.

Beside the tent were posters calling for the release of the hostages. One read: "We love our children more than we hate Hamas."

It is known that Israel believes 132 hostages are still in Gaza, following an agreement at the end of November that freed 105 civilians from Hamas. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed the deaths of 28 people still being held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza.