Marking the 500th day since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and kidnapping, relatives of the hostages were leading rallies and fasts across the country on Monday to call attention to the captives’ plight.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum was leading the events, encouraging a 500-minute fast and daylong protests under the banner: “Get them out of hell.”

The fast started at 11:40 a.m. and will end at 8 p.m. with a rally at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square.

On Monday morning, hostage families and activists blocked roads across the country, including the central Namir Road in Tel Aviv.

Family members of hostages and dozens of supporters also gathered outside the Hostages and Missing Families Forum tent on Azza Street in Jerusalem, near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home, where they began a march to the Knesset.

Ahead of the demonstrations, freed hostage Ohad Ben Ami calls for mass participation in the nationwide demonstrations: “I intend to go outside and fight for them.”

Ben Ami was released by Hamas earlier this month, emaciated after 16 months of mistreatment.

“What strongly kept my hopes up down there was that I knew people were fighting for me,” he added, saying that what could truly raise the spirits of those still in captivity is if crowds head out to demonstrate on Monday.

“You have no idea how much strength it would give to those left behind,” he said.

Using words from the liturgy recited on Jewish fast days — “Please save us!” — Levi Ben-Baruch, uncle of US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, wrapped in his prayer shawl and wearing tefillin, called for the return of all the hostages.

“We will fast 500 minutes for the captives,” he said.

“They’ve already been fasting for 500 days,” he added, asking the nation to fast with the families, to pray as one soul, as one heart.

“We want to know when they are all coming home,” said Ben Baruch, whose soldier nephew, Alexander, is not on the list of 33 hostages slated to come home in the ongoing first phase of the........

© The Times of Israel