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“My heart was murdered in Gaza,” says the widow of a murdered hostage at a rally

“My heart was murdered in Gaza,” said Michal Lobanov, whose late husband Alex was one of the six hostages murdered by Hamas two weeks ago, on stage at the main demonstration at Begin Gate in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening.

Demonstrations calling for an immediate hostage deal broke out again in Tel Aviv and across the country on Saturday night, followed by calls for the government to resign over its failure to reach an agreement.

“My two sons are now fatherless. They will not get the chance to be raised by their father. How will our two young sons live in a country whose government has abandoned their fathers? It is too late for them and for me,” Lobanov said.

“We could have done more. We could have pushed for an agreement to release them before they were murdered. An agreement is not as glorious as the total defeat of Hamas, but it is an expression of another kind of courage: the courage to do the right thing, even when the decision is harder to make,” she continued.

“Please give the other families here a chance to bring their loved ones back. It is too late for me. There is still a chance for them. Make this nightmare come to a better end for these families and the entire nation that supports them. Bring them home now!” she declared.

Hostage-taking on Begin Bridge. September 14, 2024. (Source: AVSHALOM SASSONI)

Reaction of the hostage family to Gallant's war turnaround

Earlier, the Hostage Family Forum had reacted to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's comments that Israeli forces had begun to focus on the north, saying this focus meant that Netanyahu was “abandoning the hostages to die in the tunnels,” N12 reported.

Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage-taker Matan Zangauker, said: “We demand from the government: First, the release of the hostages. An expansion of the war in the north without an agreement is a death sentence for the hostages. Instead of releasing 101 hostages, Netanyahu has abandoned them for the north.”

“Everyone can see that the military pressure is killing the hostages, and we all know that an agreement is ready to be signed. As long as Netanyahu remains in power, the war will go on forever and there will be no agreement. Netanyahu is the obstacle to the agreement,” Zangauker added.

Police operation

Fifteen demonstrators were arrested in Tel Aviv for disturbing the peace, Israeli police announced on Saturday evening.

In a statement, police said that during initial patrols, officers found waste materials intended for burning, such as tires, boards and rafts.

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“We reiterate that the freedom to protest and express oneself does not include the freedom to set fires, block main roads, disrupt the movement of large numbers of people or break through police lines,” the statement said.

Demonstrators reported significant changes in police behavior. A row of closely parked trucks blocked most of the exits, it was said.

“I have been to 74 of the last 76 demonstrations,” one protester told Maariv. “Nothing like this has ever happened. They allowed the crowd to quickly evacuate in all directions. Suddenly everything is blocked. They have gone crazy.”

According to Ynet, eight protesters were arrested for blocking roads and another seven for possession of suspected flammable materials.

After the arrests, police announced that the streets were reopened.



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