Jerusalem–

A march by thousands of Israelis demanding the release of Gaza hostages arrived in Jerusalem on Saturday as negotiators prepared to resume ceasefire talks in Cairo that would include a swap deal with Hamas.

A group of protesters, led by family members, made their way along a winding highway to Jerusalem, arriving at sunset in the city after Palestinian militants took hostages in a deadly attack by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7. .

They held up Israeli flags, yellow balloons and posters of hostages, concluding a four-day march that started at a site of October’s terror attacks and were expected to be joined by more protesters outside a rally for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Residential.

“We are marching here to support the families of those who have been kidnapped in hopes that they will be released and safe as soon as possible. We pray for them every step of the way,” said Danny Cuperman. of the marchers.

Gaza ceasefire talks are expected to resume in the Egyptian capital on Sunday. US President Joe Biden has said he hopes to achieve a ceasefire before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins on March 10.

Dozens of hostages could be released if a deal is reached.

“It was the only humane thing that could have happened,” said Yair Mozes, whose 79-year-old father, Gadi, was killed at Kibbutz Nir Oz. kidnapping. “They have to go home. That’s it.”

The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been mediating truce talks since January. The last deal led to a weeklong pause in fighting in November, during which Hamas released more than 100 hostages, mostly women, teenagers and children, while Israel released about three times as many Palestinian women and teenagers prisoner.

Nearly five months into the war in Gaza, 134 hostages remain in solitary confinement in the coastal enclave, according to Israeli authorities. Among them were soldiers and civilians, men and women, and a child and his brother.

Israel says Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 253 people in southern Israel in an attack on October 7. Israel has carried out military attacks on Gaza, killing more than 30,000 Palestinians there, according to the health ministry of the Hamas-controlled enclave.

Israelis protest under different banners almost every week, although the numbers are far smaller than the massive demonstrations that swept the country in 2023. Some are calling for the government to step down over the October 7 security failure, while others are focused on freeing hostages and delivering aid to Gaza.