Israelis around the country planned alternative Independence Day events, refusing to celebrate independence as 59 hostages are still held captive in Gaza.
"Not a holiday, a fight," organizers wrote on the protest site Restart. "Let's make this basic statement of solidarity as wide as possible."
Fifty-nine hostages are still captive in the dark of Gaza. They do not have independence, and we are not moving from Remembrance Day to celebration."Ceremonies, protests, and prayer services were planned for multiple locations around the country. In Tel Aviv's Hostage Square, a rally was planned for Wednesday night in which family members of hostages and representatives of others harmed on October 7, 2023, will participate. Shlomo Artzi and Ninet Tayeb will perform at the event.
In Jerusalem, a ceremony, prayer, and a sing-along will be held at the Hostage protest encampment at Paris Square on Wednesday night.
Also in Jerusalem on Wednesday, an alternative torch lighting ceremony will take place. Among those set to light torches are Ayala Metzger, whose father-in-law Yoram was killed in Hamas captivity, Gonen Ben Itzhak, a lawyer for the legal aid for protesters organization Maarach Otef Atzurim, and Huda Abu Obaid, from the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality.
Shift 101 protests for the hostages will take place in over ten locations around the country starting Wednesday evening and continuing into the night.
Additional marches and protests will also take place on Wednesday evening in Tivon, Binyamina, and Giv'at Ada.
Thursday's slated protest activity
On Thursday, tours of Tel Aviv's Hostage Square will take place throughout the day, and the Hostage Family Forum invited the public to come to the square.
Also on Thursday, protesters will gather to form a human chain outside of the President's Jerusalem residence during the ceremony for the recipients of the IDF's presidential excellence award. An additional protest is planned in Jerusalem for Thursday night.
