Israeli families march to demand release of hostages held by Hamas

Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli families of hostages held by Hamas began a four-day march from near the Gaza Strip to Jerusalem, calling for the release of their loved ones.

The families commenced their march from Re'im, the site of a music festival on Oct. 7 last year, where about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage by Hamas militants in a surprise attack.

Video footage showed them marching with posters and T-shirts bearing printed images of their relatives, chanting "Now! Now! Now!" They are expected to arrive in Jerusalem on Saturday.

"No one can be left behind," Ronen Neutra, father of one of the hostages, said in a speech along the march. "(Israel's) War Cabinet is responsible for ensuring that in the current deal, all the hostages will be included."

The march coincides with Qatari efforts to broker a Hamas-Israel deal for a ceasefire in Gaza in return for hostage release. However, Israeli and Hamas officials have cautioned that substantial gaps still exist.

According to Israeli figures, a total of 134 people are still being held by Hamas, at least 35 of them are believed to be dead.

Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)

Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)

Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)

Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)

Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)

Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)

Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)