Protests demanding the release of hostages descended into chaos in Jerusalem, resulting in confrontations between demonstrators and police. Protesters overturned garbage cans, set fires, and blocked traffic, while police responded with force. The situation escalated after the release of a new video showing the hostages.
The Islamist movement Hamas has released a video of an Israeli-American hostage it captured during an attack on southern Israel in October 2023, igniting protests in Jerusalem and calls for the government to do more to secure the release of the captives. The video shows Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who has been missing since the attack, accusing Israel’s government of abandoning hostages and claiming that some 70 captives have been killed in Israel’s bombing campaign. Goldberg-Polin’s family has appealed to world leaders and the United Nations for help, while protests in Jerusalem have called on the government to strike a deal with Hamas to bring the hostages home. Meanwhile, Hamas has stated that it will not release the remaining hostages unless Israel ends the war in Gaza.
