The “Free Them Now” solidarity relay connects New York, Boston and Miami with the Australian capital Melbourne, passing through the European cities of Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Rome (with a final twist, tomorrow, in Milan).
«It is an international moment to remember that there are still 125 Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas in Gaza. Today, after 240 days”, explains Benedetto Sacerdoti, the representative in Italy of the Israeli Forum of Hostage Families. The meeting point, this evening from 6pm to 7.30pm, is off Torre Argentina in Rome. It will be a “moment of activism to convey a humanitarian message”, explains the Italian delegate. Who is keen to underline the non-political nature of the event. In a climate of strong polarization of the conflict in Gaza, Sacerdoti wants to underline “the humanitarian theme, albeit in a war context with victims on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides”. And he anticipates that in his speech he will not fail to express “empathy and condolences” also for the civilians in Gaza.
The idea is that passers-by in the square in the center of Rome can stop and listen to the stories of the many boys and girls, children, women, elderly and sick people, Israelis and many other nationalities, who for eight months have been «hostages of a ‘terrorist organization, which is responsible for their suffering and that of the Palestinians, indirect victims of Hamas.”
Three women in particular will be remembered. 22-year-old tattoo artist Shani Louk, kidnapped at Nova Festival, killed in captivity, whose body was recovered two weeks ago by the Israeli army in Jabalia. Shiri Bibas, the 32-year-old mother of the red-haired children, Ariel (4 years old) and Kfir (who was 9 months old at the time of the kidnapping), and who Hamas declared all dead (news never confirmed by Tsahal). And Noa Argamani, 26 years old, captured in the Reim forest. Her voice was broadcast in a video released by the Islamist faction on Friday. The girl’s mother, terminally ill with cancer, has repeatedly expressed her last wish to see her again before dying. Alongside Sacerdoti there will be Luca Spizzichino who presides over the Union of Young Italian Jews (UGEI) and Tiziana Levy who coordinates the activities of the international organization Run for Their Lives in Italy.
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