A moving rally was held in Paris in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Between hope and anguish, the participants are feverishly awaiting the entry into force of a truce which could allow the first long-awaited liberations. A day full of emotions for all those affected by this tragedy which has been going on for 470 days already…
It was at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, on a Trocadéro square renamed “place des otages” for the occasion, that thousands of people gathered this Saturday in Paris. Gathered in support of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, the participants oscillated between relief and anguish, a few hours before the entry into force of a truce supposed to allow the first long-awaited releases.
In front of the crowd, a counter ticked off the 470 days, hours, minutes and seconds spent in detention by captives of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. Some demonstrators held up photos of the hostages, crossed out with a red “kidnapped” or “kidnapped” banner. A poignant symbol of the ordeal endured since October 7, 2023, which saw 251 people kidnapped during an unprecedented Hamas attack against Israel.
94 hostages still in Hamas hands
According to information from the Israeli army, 94 of these captives are still hostages in Gaza today, 34 of whom have tragically lost their lives. But hope is reborn with the announcement of a truce agreement due to begin this Sunday morning. Hardly negotiated, it provides for the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for 737 Palestinian prisoners, in a first phase of exchanges spread over six weeks.
This truce is all the more crucial as it comes at the end of a devastating war which left more than 46,000 dead, the vast majority of Gazan civilians. The prospect of the first releases therefore arouses strong emotion among those close to the hostages, as demonstrated by Sylvie Roux-Sicsic, a member of the Tous 7 Octobre association which organized the gathering:
I can’t express joy. It’s a mixture of relief if there really are liberations tomorrow, and at the same time, great anxiety.
The anguish of hostage families
Many people share this anxiety on the Place du Trocadéro. Anguish that all the promised releases are not forthcoming, but also for the families of the hostages who are not affected by this agreement. This is the case of Moshe Lavi, whose brother-in-law Omri Miran, 47, is not on the list of prisoners to be released. While he is delighted for those who will soon be reunited with their loved ones, he is no less determined to continue his fight:
-We call on the public not to fall into euphoria but to continue coming to the rallies and speaking out for the hostages.
A concern shared by Jean-David Ichay, president of Tous October 7, who evokes “a hope mixed with fears”, particularly regarding the state of health in which the released hostages will find themselves. The truce agreement itself is also a source of ambivalent feelings, as he explains:
We support this agreement but we also understand the Israelis who are a little skeptical about the release of Palestinian prisoners, including terrorists who have blood on their hands.
A path strewn with pitfalls
Because the road to peace and reconciliation still promises to be long and strewn with pitfalls between Israelis and Palestinians. This war and this large-scale hostage-taking have left deep scars and reignited tensions. Bereaved families are struggling to accept the release of prisoners with blood on their hands in exchange for their loved ones, even though not all of them will return.
But on this day of gathering, it is hope that prevails despite everything. The hope of finally seeing the conflict calm down and dialogue resume. The hope of hugging a son, a husband, a brother again. This hope, these thousands of people who came to support the hostages are determined to keep it alive. By their presence, their messages and their determination not to forget them, until everyone has returned home.
