400 Days in hell
The grassroots organisation, formed in the aftermath of last year's October 7 Hamas attack, is focused on hostage advocacy and humanitarian support.
The Australian Jewish community has marked the heartbreaking milestone – over 400 days in captivity for Israel’s 101 hostages cruelly taken by Hamas.
Around 400 people attended a ceremony at Caulfield Park in Melbourne on November 10, organised by the group United with Israel.
United with Israel’s Nirit Eylon told The AJN, “To mark 400 days in captivity, hundreds of people joined us to form a human installation in the shape of 400, sending a clear message to the hostages and their families: You are not alone; we stand with you!”
The grassroots organisation, formed in the aftermath of last year’s October 7 Hamas attack, is focused on hostage advocacy and humanitarian support, and works directly with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Israel. The group has held weekly rallies calling for the release of the hostages.
Sydney-based group Together With Israel formed in similar circumstances and has been holding weekly name readings of the hostages.
More than 400 days after the Hamas-led atrocities, Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Peter Wertheim said, “The continuing plight and unknown fate of the more than 100 hostages, living and dead, who remain in the hands of Hamas and its supporters, is a standing indictment of the failure of international organisations, national governments and self-described human rights organisations to live up to their professed values.”
Zionist Federation of Australia CEO Alon Cassuto commented, “It is unconscionable that over 100 hostages, including infants, children and the elderly, remain in captivity after 400 days.
“Anyone who genuinely seeks to end this war must demand their immediate release and call for Hamas to lay down their arms. Every day this conflict drags on, the lives of these hostages hang in the balance.
“The international community must act with urgency – this is not just an Israeli issue; it is a universal moral imperative.”
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