Hundreds of protesters gathered at Central Park in New York City on Sunday, calling for the release of the 59 hostages who have been held captive in Gaza for 569 days.
Among those attending were relatives of the hostages, including the parents of Itay Chen, the brother of Evyatar David, the brother-in-law of Omri Miran, and the aunt of released hostage Abigail Idan.
Hagit and Ruby Chen, the parents of Itay Chen, said: “Our hearts are with the families who are still waiting in Israel. We’re still waiting, too. Our son — an American citizen — is still being held captive in Gaza. Unity is what keeps us going. We must remember that, and we must bring all 59 hostages home."
They continued, "They must come home. Until everyone comes back, there’s no complete victory. We won’t accept this reality. Our hearts won’t be at peace until all of them are home.”
Eli David, the brother of hostage Evyatar David, urged the crowd to keep hope alive: “The ability to imagine Evyatar coming home gives me strength. I ask all of you — before you act, before you pray — imagine it. Imagine them returning. Imagine the happy ending. We can’t give up until every one of them is back with their families.”
'We need your voice, your actions'
Moshe Emilio Lavi, the brother-in-law of hostage Omri Miran, stressed the need for international action: “We ask you to focus on a country that needs to heal more than anything. A country that is still wounded and in pain. We need your voice, your actions – here in New York and around the world – to make sure that the government puts the hostages at the top of the list of priorities.”
Liz Naftali, the aunt of Abigail Idan, who was freed from captivity, said: “Abigail fought for her life. She’s a leader. She’s a force. I wish our leaders had even a sliver of her strength. The strength of a three-year-old girl — that’s the kind of strength we need for the people who have been trapped in darkness for 19 months.”