Feb. 17 (UPI) — Families of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas held a rally marking the 500th day of captivity on Monday, encouraging supporters to make a 500-minute fast in their recognition.
The fast started at 11:40 a.m. local time and ended at 8 p.m. with a rally at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square. Activists and some family members of hostages blocked roads across the country in protest.
Another event saw a march from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum tent in Jerusalem near the home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Knesset.
After the march to the Knesset, hostage families took part in discussions and shared information about the conditions of their relatives still in captivity.
Ben Ami, who was released after 16 months in captivity by Hamas, supported the rally.
“What strongly kept my hopes up down there was that I knew people were fighting for me,” Ami said, according to the Times of Israel. “You have no idea how much strength it would give to those left behind.”
In an Instagram post, Liri Albag, a kidnapped Israeli Defense Forces surveillance soldier released, urged supporters not to let up until all the hostages are freed.
“Don’t forget them, don’t rest, don’t relax until everyone is home,” Albag said on the 500th day observance, according to the Jerusalem Post. “Five hundred days of uncertainty, 500 days of longing, fear, and loneliness. Five hundred days of lack of movement, lack of food, no proper medical care, no daylight.”
The gathering comes after Israel and Hamas completed the sixth exchange of hostages and prisoners since reaching a cease-fire on Jan. 25 with three Israeli hostages — Sagui Dekel-Chen, Alexandre Troufanov and Iair Horn being released by Hamas in exchange for Israel releasing 369 prisoners.
Those released on Saturday appeared to be in better health after both Israel and Hamas said that those set free in the previous exchanged look frail, while many had health issues.
