Families of Hamas-held captives were set to hold a public Passover Seder in Tel Aviv Saturday night, as Israel scaled back demands in talks to renew the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, amid reports that negotiations had slowed down under Jerusalem’s new point man.
Responding Friday to reports that talks have lost steam under Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer — a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — the Hostages and Missing Families Forum demanded he reach a deal to end the Gaza war and bring back the remaining 59 captives.
“On the eve of the festival of freedom, we again call on Minister Dermer: Fifty-nine, or resign,” the Forum said.
The Forum has called on Israelis to come to so-called Hostages Square outside the Tel Aviv Museum at 7 p.m. on Saturday. “Bring your holiday meal with you, bring a mat or chair, come with the kids, come with friends — let’s be together,” it said.
“How can we sit at the Seder table and tell the story of our journey from slavery to freedom while 59 of our brothers and sisters are still held captive by Hamas?” the Forum asked.
In a video statement via the Forum, Karina Ariev, who was released in January as part of the ceasefire-hostage deal signed that month, urged Israelis marking the Seder to “leave an empty chair for the hostages, and do not forget them.”
“During the Seder we read the verse, ‘In every generation, a person must see themselves as if they personally left Egypt,’ and this changes meaning after experiencing captivity,” said Ariev.
“Although I am here, my heart is still there. There are still 59 hostages waiting for their freedom holiday, waiting to be brought home,” she added. “I think about them, and I think about us because until they return, none of us can truly be free.”
The Families Forum said it would hold holiday events at Hostages Square next week featuring ex-captives Merav Tal, Moran Stela Yanai and Ilana Gritzewsky on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
The three were among 105 women and children released during the weeklong truce-hostage deal with Hamas in November 2023.
Gritzewsky’s partner Matan Zangauker is one of 24 hostages thought to still be alive — all of them young men. Tal’s partner, Yair Yaakov, is one of 35 captives confirmed dead by the IDF, including a soldier killed fighting in the 2014 Gaza War.
Ariev and 32 others were returned to Israel under the second, most recent ceasefire deal, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US, between Janaury and March.
The 42-day first phase of that deal expired on March 2 amid Israel’s refusal to negotiate the potential second stage, which would have required the IDF to withdraw from Gaza entirely — a red line for Netanyahu’s right-wing flank, which has threatened to topple the government. On March 18, Israel resumed hostilities in Gaza with a surprise series of massive airstrikes after Hamas refused to extend the first phase without talks on ending the war.
In exchange for restoring the ceasefire, Israel had demanded the release of 11 living hostages, while Hamas has said it is willing to release just five. Talks have remained at an impasse as Israel expanded its renewed military campaign.
In recent days, Egypt has sought to meet the sides halfway and has begun pushing a new proposal that would see eight living hostages released.
Two officials familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel on Friday that Israel had submitted a softened proposal to Egypt, after Netanyahu agreed in a meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday to scale back Israel’s demands.
Jacob Magid contributed to this report.