Israeli hostages' images projected at UN HQ, demanding their release

Massive projections of images of Israeli civilians taken hostage by Hamas, including infants, women and elderly, were displayed outside UN hequarters in New York, calling for freeing of captives in Gaza.

A group of Israelis living in US displayed pictures of hostages, including Ariel, 4, and Yaffa, 85, at UN hequarters. Messages such as "Hamas is ISIS," "Bring m home now," and "Abducting Israeli civilians is a crime against humanity" were projected at UN's main building. 

US-based Command Centre for family members of captives demanded return of all captives, noting that keeping m hostage violates international law.

It called for rapid opening of a humanitarian corridor so that supplies like food and medication can be distributed. Command Centre also urged world leers, notably those from Arab countries, to take action. 

" world must know. world needs to wake up. We will not rest until our brors and sisters, who were violently and murderously kidnapped, will come home to ir families." Command Centre activists in New York stated. 

Locals called on Israeli ministration to exchange captives or convicts with terrorist organisation Hamas at a rally earlier on Thursday in Israeli city of Tel Aviv. In order to secure release of women and children who are being held hostage, activists have urged Israeli government to speak with Hamas. To highlight demands, y me use of posters and raised slogans.

" government of Israel should talk to Hamas to ensure that women, children and civilians who have been taken hostage should be released," a protestor in Tel Aviv was quoted by ANI. 

Anor local protester argued that government ought to use all available means to secure safe return of captives who have been abducted.

After ir attacks on sourn Israel on Saturday, Hamas terrorists, according to Israel's envoy to UN on Monday, were holding up to 150 hostages in various parts of Gaza. 

According to Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, spokesman for Israel Defense Forces (IDF), number of people killed and injured as a result of Hamas terror strikes against Israel has risen to 1,300.

He also discussed ongoing initiatives to collect bodies and transport m to Tel Aviv so that y can be identified before being returned to ir families. He described it as a "tedious and detailed process" and said that Israel hn't previously encountered something like this.

Lt. Col. Conricus stated, "Unfortunately number of Israeli casualties has risen to 1,300 Israeli civilians and soldiers and more than 3,000 wounded. re is a massive national effort involving almost all of security organisations and many of ministries of Israeli state, which is focused on taking bodies from same communities that we spoke about yesterday, like for instance... and or communities and entire sourn area, collecting bodies, bringing m to a centre in Tel Aviv, identifying m and n making sure y are next to ir kin. ir loved ones are able to take m and to provide m with a final and respectable burial that's ongoing," 

"It is a tedious and long and detailed process, taking lots of resources. We have never, ever in our history been forced to deal with such a situation and it is ongoing. It will take days and as we match and identify more and more of Israeli bodies that are uncovered in communities, we will have more information about missing persons," he said.

(With ANI inputs)