'The most terrible of nights': Families of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas voice fear amid IDF bombardment of Gaza
28 October 2023, 11:55
The families of the hostages taken to Gaza by Hamas have told of their fear during the bombardment of the territory by the Israeli armed forces.
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More than 220 people are being held hostage by Hamas, Israel has said, with four having been released.
They are thought to include around 20 children, as well as elderly and sick people.
Hamas says it has hidden the people it has taken captive in "safe places and tunnels" within Gaza.
Israel launched a massive aerial bombardment on Friday night that has continued into Saturday morning, as its troops moved into the north of Gaza to fight Hamas.
But the relatives of the hostages said that Friday "was the most terrible of all nights."
They added in a statement: "It was a long and sleepless night, against the backdrop of the major IDF operation in the Strip, and absolute uncertainty regarding the fate of the hostages held there, who were also subject to the heavy bombing
The families said they were "worried about the fate of their loved ones and are waiting for an explanation. Every minute feels like an eternity.
They demanded a meeting with the government to discuss their concerns.
The IDF said that working to release the hostages was "a supreme national effort. And all our activities, operational, intelligence, are aimed at realising the goal".
Andrew Castle and ex-national security adviser on Israel-Hamas war
It comes after hundreds of balloons were released in London for the hostages.
London was joined in the release by cities across the world, including New York, Paris and Melbourne, where people showed solidarity with Israel and the missing.
Hundreds of people arrived at the capital's landmark, including Noam Sagi, whose 85-year-old mother is among the hostages.
They chanted 'bring them home' as the balloons were released over the Thames.
Earlier on Friday, the Jewish Community Centre in North London laid an empty Shabbat table, with chairs displaying a missing hostage.
Raymond Simonson, the centre's chief executive, said: "These are people, they are not just numbers. We urge you today to walk around the table, and look at the faces and names.
"It's only when you look at it like this do you realise how many people it truly is."
Posters of the missing have been displayed throughout London but some have been defaced amid surging anti-Semitic incidents in the capital.
