Families of Israelis captured by Gaza fighters blame Netanyahu for crisis

Clutching photos of their missing loved ones, hundreds of relatives of captives seized into besieged Gaza on October 7 have marched into West Jerusalem to demand answers from the Israeli far-right government amid fear the captives will get harmed in Tel Aviv's indiscriminate bombardment and invasion of Gaza.

The families, their faces etched with exhaustion and stress, were joined on Saturday by thousands of supporters on the march, which set out Tuesday from the coastal city of Tel Aviv, urging action to bring to the release of captives.

"Bring them home now!" the marchers chanted as they walked into West Jerusalem, the seat of the Israeli government, many carrying placards with the faces of the captives.

One of the posters read: "Mum, we're waiting for you. Come back."

Many were draped in blue-and-white Israeli flags as they walked the final stretch to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

"I believe that we would not have even been in the war if not for him [Netanyahu] because his focus has been on his power, his staying out of jail and the ideological things of basically putting the Palestinians down in the West Bank," said Lucy, a protester.

"We don't trust his judgment in running war because we know even before the war started that his [Netanyahu] interest is to stay in power as much as possible, to take over the courts, to take over the media, to change the laws in order to stay in power as much as possible about how to support his coalition, the government and he is very corrupted and extreme partners in the government," said activist and protester Nava Rozolyo.

"So this is one thing that is showing that he cares only about his personal interests."

An estimated 20,000 marchers, including well-wishers who joined the procession along the main Tel Aviv-West Jerusalem highway, want to put pressure on the government "to do everything they can to bring the hostages back", said Noam Alon, 25, clutching a photograph of his abducted girlfriend, Inbar.

"We are expecting them to meet with us, we are expecting them to tell us how they are going to do it," he said. "We cannot wait any longer, so we are demand(ing) them to do that now, to pay any price to bring the hostages back."

Earlier this week, the Israeli army confirmed finding the bodies of two captives inside the bombarded Palestinian territory.

Relatives have consistently criticised the government for failing to keep them informed, and say release efforts should be an absolute priority of Israel's military campaign.

'How can we sleep?'

As they approached Netanyahu's office, they stopped briefly to release hundreds of yellow helium balloons into the sky, many supporters in tears as they gazed into the sky.

"I want the government to bring them home to us," said Dvora Cohen, 43, whose brother-in-law and 12-year-old nephew and are both believed held in besieged Gaza.

"I want the world to help us, I want the Red Cross to do its job, to go into Gaza and see if they are alive, see what they need, if they are getting medical help," she told AFP.

So far, the Red Cross has not been able to meet with any of the hostages, Israel's top diplomat Eli Cohen said this week, and the families say they have had no news from the Israeli government about negotiations to secure their release.

"We want answers," said Ari Levi.

"We don't know what the government is doing, we don't have any information," Levi told AFP news agency.

He said rumours which started circulating in recent days that the army had found more bodies in besieged Gaza have sent anxiety levels through the roof.

"As soon as there's a rumour like that — how can we sleep? We don't know anything. Nobody [from the government] has spoken to us. They say: 'Yes we're with you', but they don't give us any information," he said.

'Do something'

Israel's war on besieged Gaza has killed over 12,300 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children. The Israeli death toll stands at 1,200, which was revised down from 1,400.

Four of the hostages have been freed so far by Hamas resistance group, and another, a soldier, was rescued in an Israeli operation, Tel Aviv claims.

Diplomatic sources this week said Qatar-mediated negotiations were under way to free some of the captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and a temporary ceasefire.

But the talks have so far yielded no result, and the families say they have no idea what is being discussed.

"We want our government to make every effort to make a deal, to release first the children, to do something," said Levi, his words echoed by many in the crowd.

Michal, 48, who joined part of the march and did not want to give her surname, said: "As a mother, I'd say if my son or my daughter was there, even for two minutes, I would literally stop at nothing to bring them home."

Many Israelis blame their far-right government for being blindsided by the Hamas surprise blitz that stunned Israel on October 7.

Among those who marched to West Jerusalem was centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid, who has been mostly supportive of the war but has demanded the resignation of PM Netanyahu.

Miki Zohar, a member of Netanyahu's cabinet and party, was heckled on Friday when he visited the marchers at a rest stop.

Hamas has announced that some of the hostages have been killed in indiscriminate Israeli bombardment on Gaza.

"It's impossible that there are 240 kidnapped people and the government — our government — isn't talking to [the relatives], isn't telling them what's going on, what's on the table, what's on offer, what are the reasons for and against. Nothing," said campaigner Stevie Kerem.