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Families march to demand hostage release in Gaza

February 29, 2024
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Workers remove rubble at the site where three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in Faraa refugee camp near the West Bank town of Tubas.
Workers remove rubble at the site where three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in Faraa refugee camp near the West Bank town of Tubas.
Palestinian mourners carry the bodies of three men during their funeral in the West Bank town of Tubas.
Palestinian mourners carry the bodies of three men during their funeral in the West Bank town of Tubas.
Israelis stand on tanks during an event for families of reservists outside a military base in southern Israel.
Israelis stand on tanks during an event for families of reservists outside a military base in southern Israel.
A woman sits near the site where three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire.
A woman sits near the site where three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire.
Palestinian gunmen and mourners march ahead of Mohammed Daraghmeh, 26, and Muhammad Bayadsa 32, and Osama Zalat 31, during their funeral in the West Bank town of Tubas, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. Israeli troops shot and killed three Palestinian men including Daraghmeh, a co-founder of the local branch of Islamic Jihad in the northern town of Tubas, early Tuesday, Palestinian health authorities said. Thee was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Palestinian gunmen and mourners march ahead of Mohammed Daraghmeh, 26, and Muhammad Bayadsa 32, and Osama Zalat 31, during their funeral in the West Bank town of Tubas, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. Israeli troops shot and killed three Palestinian men including Daraghmeh, a co-founder of the local branch of Islamic Jihad in the northern town of Tubas, early Tuesday, Palestinian health authorities said. Thee was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Israelis stand on tanks during an event for families of reservists outside a military base in southern Israel.
Israelis stand on tanks during an event for families of reservists outside a military base in southern Israel.
Children look at the site where three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in Faraa refugee camp.
Children look at the site where three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in Faraa refugee camp.
An Israeli Air Force F-15 jet fighter manoeuvres over northern Israel on the border with Lebanon.
An Israeli Air Force F-15 jet fighter manoeuvres over northern Israel on the border with Lebanon.
A tent camp housing Palestinians displaced by the Israeli offensive is seen in Rafah, Gaza Strip.
A tent camp housing Palestinians displaced by the Israeli offensive is seen in Rafah, Gaza Strip.
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The families of hostages held in Gaza and their supporters are launching a four-day march from southern Israel to Jerusalem to demand their loved ones be set free.

The march comes as negotiations are under way 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. US President Joe Biden has said such a deal was at hand but officials from Israel and Hamas were sceptical of his optimism.

Negotiators from the US, Egypt and Qatar are working on a framework deal under which Hamas would free some of the dozens of hostages it holds in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a six-week halt in fighting. During the temporary pause, negotiations would continue over the release of the remaining hostages.

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 October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 others hostage.

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