A Passover shrouded in grief as Israelis remember hostages

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April 23, 2024 at 5:19 p.m. EDT
Families of Israeli hostages protest next to an empty Seder table in front of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea on Monday, the first night of Passover. (Heidi Levine for The Washington Post)
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CAESAREA, Israel — Around the world, Jews left empty seats at their Seder tables as they marked Passover — the religious celebration of the Jewish people’s freedom from slavery in Egypt. The vacant chairs served as a reminder of the more than 130 hostages still captive in Gaza.

On Monday, the first night of the holiday, hundreds gathered outside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in this seaside town shouting, “You’re the head, you’re to be blamed.” Demonstrators demanded that Netanyahu’s government do more to free the hostages.

Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for six months, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding region.

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that included the taking of civilian hostages at a music festival. (See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded). Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948.

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars, killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “famine-like conditions.” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave.

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians, including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons, funds aid packages, and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip.