The demonstration was called for by the Prisoners' Families Committee, which issued a statement on the X platform saying, "Look into their eyes. Time has run out. Our brothers are going through hell in captivity. Stop this madness. Reach a comprehensive agreement that will bring them home."
This coincided with a visit by US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to the demonstration site, where he was greeted by protesters with chants including "Bring back the kidnapped now," according to Channel 13, which broadcast his arrival.
The Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom reported that Witkov met with a number of relatives of prisoners held at the site, while witnesses said the families' demands of the envoy centered on the need to initiate an immediate prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.
Videos broadcast by the Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, showed captive Evitar David in a state of extreme emaciation and significant weight loss. His family described Evitar's condition as "a million punches to the heart," according to what his sister, Yala, wrote on Instagram.
In a similar vein, the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, released a video of captive Rom Barslavsky, described as "the last before contact with him was lost." He also appeared to be in a state of extreme physical weakness.
Yotam, the brother of captive soldier Nimrod Cohen, commented on the footage, saying, "Holocaust, the Israeli government—the responsibility lies with you." Meanwhile, Idit, the mother of captive Alon Ohl, called for an immediate resumption of negotiations, describing the video as a "call for help."
Anat, the mother of prisoner Matan Angrest, said: "Our children have become skeletons and have been left to die. This is the collapse of Jewish morality."
Tel Aviv estimates there are 50 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, 20 of whom are still alive. More than 10,800 Palestinians are languishing in its prisons, suffering torture, starvation, and medical neglect, many of whom have died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.
Days ago, Israel withdrew from indirect negotiations with Hamas in Doha, mediated by Qatar and Egypt and supported by the United States, due to Tel Aviv's intransigence regarding the withdrawal from Gaza, ending the war, Palestinian prisoners, and the aid distribution mechanism.
Hamas has repeatedly declared its willingness to release Israeli prisoners "in one batch" in exchange for an end to the war of extermination, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. But Netanyahu has evaded the offer by proposing new conditions, including the disarmament of Palestinian factions, and is currently insisting on reoccupying Gaza.
Since the genocide began on October 7, 2023, Israel has been simultaneously committing a starvation crime against the Palestinians of Gaza. On March 2, it tightened its measures by closing all crossings to humanitarian, relief, and medical aid, causing famine to spread and reaching "catastrophic" levels.
The genocide in Gaza left approximately 208,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 9,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and a famine that claimed the lives of many.
