JERUSALEM, Israel — Traffic came to a standstill on Israel’s major north-south highway in the middle of rush hour on Thursday evening — but no one complained.
The reason: these were the families of the more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas terrorists on October 7, and those who support their cause. Up ahead, a slow procession made its way across the junction between Highway 6 and Highway 3, waving flags and chanting: “All of them! Now!” Some of the stranded cars honked in solidarity with them.
The movement to free the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 has captivated the Israeli public imagination, and it is on the march, embarking earlier this week on a five-day trek from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. At about 35 miles, it is not a huge distance, but all of it is uphill. Moreover, the marchers are staging rallies along the way; on Thursday, for example, they held one in the suburban city of Modi’in.
Some of the families have become increasingly vociferous in their demands that the Israeli government cut a deal with Hamas.
Avi Marciano, whose daughter, Noa, was an IDF soldier who died in Hamas custody, told the rally in Modi’in that the families would reject…
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