Families of hostages held in Gaza begin 4-day march to Jerusalem

Families of hostages held in Gaza and their supporters launched a four day march on Wednesday from southern Israel to Jerusalem to demand their loved ones be set free.

The march comes as negotiations are underway in Qatar to bring about a deal between Hamas and Israel that would lead to a cease-fire in exchange for the release of hostages.

U.S. President Joe Biden has said such a deal was at hand but officials from Israel and Hamas were skeptical of his optimism.

Hostages freed in a late-November deal, some of whom still have relatives held in Gaza, joined the march Wednesday.

The march will end near the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this week.

"No one can be left behind. The living and the murdered. The war cabinet is responsible for ensuring that the current deal, all the hostages will be included," said Ronen Neutra, father of 22-year-old hostage Omer.

The war has unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and sparked global concern over the situation in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost town along the border with Egypt, where 1.4 million Palestinians have sought safety from Israel's daily bombardments.

Nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed after almost five months of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, according to the Health Ministry, which does not distinguish in its count between fighters and noncombatants.

Israel says it has killed 10,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war began after Hamas-led militants stormed across southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 others hostage.

The plight of the hostages has deeply shaken Israelis, who see in them an enduring symbol of the state’s failure to protect its citizens from Hamas’ assault.