Members of Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was at the epicenter of Hamas’ attack, set up 239 empty beds in Jerusalem’s Safra Square to represent the number of captives now held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Beds of various sizes have been set up in Jerusalem’s Safra Square, furnished with personal things to represent the absence of persons taken by Hamas during their attack on Israel.
200+ empty beds and cribs in Jerusalem's Safra Square for the 200+ Israeli men, women, children, babies, and grandmothers being held hostage in Gaza.
Thank you @Jlm_city for this beautiful and heartbreaking tribute. #BringThemHome
📸@Arnon_Bossani pic.twitter.com/SI4k97BiQW
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) October 31, 2023
“The families have demanded that the Israeli government take immediate action to bring back all of the hostages, missing soldiers, and civilians”, said the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum in a news release.
“Holding them captive in Hamas is a crime against humanity”, the press statement reads.
The exhibition of vacant beds in Jerusalem’s Safra Square will be open to the public until the afternoon of November 1st.
According to the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum headquarters press release, the beds and equipment will thereafter be donated to families from the Gaza Strip.
Kibbutz Nir Oz residents claim that a fifth of their community is missing, as 80 Kibbutz members have been murdered or kidnapped.
Survivors of the attack, as well as families of the missing and hostages, visited the display and stood in silence next to the empty beds.
According to the press release, the display was a collaboration between artist Eran Webber and strategist Vered Huri. Kibbutz members collaborated with hundreds of volunteers from across the country who contributed to and assisted with the exhibit’s setup.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) revealed on Tuesday that the number of captives believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza had risen to 240. He said that 315 IDF soldiers have perished since the October 7 Hamas onslaught in Israel.
The IDF performed its first successful hostage rescue since October 7 on Monday. The IDF freed an Israeli soldier taken by Hamas.
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