NEW DELHI: In London, members of the Jewish community and their supporters gathered at Abbey Road to blow shofars and whistle, demanding the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas militants since last October. The chorus of horns lasted for 1 minute and 55 seconds, symbolizing the 155 days of captivity endured by the hostages.
The attack by Hamas on southern Israel in October ignited the ongoing war in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,160 people, mostly civilians, as reported by official Israeli figures.
In response, Israel launched a campaign to dismantle the Palestinian Islamist group, causing the deaths of over 31,000 individuals in Gaza, the majority being women and children according to the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.
Israel has stated that around 100 hostages remain alive in Gaza, while 31 are presumed dead. The shofar chorus aimed to express solidarity with the hostages, with event organizer Marcel Knobil highlighting the families’ profound shock.
“To see this terror and torment to be lifted from all these family members would be just a dream for me and the world Jewish community” said Knobil.
The “extraordinary haunting wails” of the shofar were intended to re-awaken the world to the “horrific October 7th massacre” and dire conditions that the hostages were being kept in, he said.
“We are blowing the shofar as a universal act of prayer and hope that our innocent hostages — men, women and children — shall come home,” he added.
Weeks of negotiations involving US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators have failed to secure a six-week truce and the release of Hamas hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. In response to ongoing Israeli bombardments in Gaza, thousands of protesters marched in London, calling for a ceasefire.
Previous demonstrations against Israel’s military response have resulted in numerous arrests for anti-Semitic chanting, displaying banned organization symbols, and assaulting emergency workers. This latest march, from Hyde Park Corner to the US embassy, marks the fifth major protest in the UK capital this year.
(With AFP input)
The attack by Hamas on southern Israel in October ignited the ongoing war in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,160 people, mostly civilians, as reported by official Israeli figures.
In response, Israel launched a campaign to dismantle the Palestinian Islamist group, causing the deaths of over 31,000 individuals in Gaza, the majority being women and children according to the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.
Israel has stated that around 100 hostages remain alive in Gaza, while 31 are presumed dead. The shofar chorus aimed to express solidarity with the hostages, with event organizer Marcel Knobil highlighting the families’ profound shock.
“To see this terror and torment to be lifted from all these family members would be just a dream for me and the world Jewish community” said Knobil.
The “extraordinary haunting wails” of the shofar were intended to re-awaken the world to the “horrific October 7th massacre” and dire conditions that the hostages were being kept in, he said.
“We are blowing the shofar as a universal act of prayer and hope that our innocent hostages — men, women and children — shall come home,” he added.
Weeks of negotiations involving US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators have failed to secure a six-week truce and the release of Hamas hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. In response to ongoing Israeli bombardments in Gaza, thousands of protesters marched in London, calling for a ceasefire.
Previous demonstrations against Israel’s military response have resulted in numerous arrests for anti-Semitic chanting, displaying banned organization symbols, and assaulting emergency workers. This latest march, from Hyde Park Corner to the US embassy, marks the fifth major protest in the UK capital this year.
(With AFP input)