Israeli citizens across the country participated in widespread demonstrations and installations on Wednesday morning, marking the 600th day since the October 7 Hamas attack and the ongoing captivity of hostages in Gaza. The coordinated displays reflect deepening public frustration with the prolonged crisis and mounting pressure on the government to secure the hostages' release.
Thousands of citizens joined initiatives and displays throughout Israel from the early morning hours to commemorate 600 days of war and hostage captivity.
Hostage families blocked the Ayalon highway near Hashalom Junction, a major Tel Aviv area interchange, as part of the day's protests, demanding immediate government action to secure their loved ones' return.
"600 days without our beloved family members, 600 days during which Hamas holds them captive while Israel's blood government abandons them there to preserve coalition unity," the families of the hostages said in a statement. "Our families have become casualties of the prime minister's cheap political calculations. 600 days have elapsed since October 7, yet Israel's government has never initiated a comprehensive plan to free all hostages. Netanyahu prefers returning them in stages through selective lists – deciding who lives and who dies – rather than securing everyone's release."
At the Lohamei HaGeta'ot kibbutz, about 100 members created a large installation at exactly 6:29 a.m. – the exact time the October 7 attack began – displaying the hostage symbol to mark 600 days since the deadly attack while calling for the liberation of all 58 hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas.
At Kibbutz Kfar Masaryk, community members constructed a massive field installation demanding the return of all hostages.
