Thousands of people rallied with hostage family members and captivity survivors in Central Park, demanding that phase 2 of the hostage release deal move forward.
Following the release of Hamas' horrific video of hostages Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dallal who were forced to watch their friends being released from captivity, their brothers, Ilay and Gal, called out, "Our brothers are begging to be saved —bring them home now!"
As the crowd held up images of the 63 hostages still in captivity, family members and community leaders took to the stage, demanding the immediate launch of Phase 2 of the hostage deal. The families emphasized that while they celebrate every life that has been brought home, the mission remains incomplete until every hostage is freed.
The rally featured giant banners with the urgent message: “President Trump — We Trust You’ll Bring Them All Home”.
Supporters held up images of the 63 hostages still captive in Gaza, each bearing the message: “Don’t Forget Me, Bring Me Home”.
Among the crowd were images from recent family reunions, accompanied by the powerful message: "We can have more moments like this." The crowd continuously chanted: “Bring Them Home, Now!” to amplify their plea.
Ilana Gritzewsky, captivity survivor and the partner of hostage Matan Zangauker said, “In order for me to see my future in Israel, all of the hostages must come back. There is nothing more aligned with being a Zionist than fighting for our people, It is at the core of our Jewish identity. In order for me to heal, in order for all of the released hostages to heal, we need them all home.”
“I’m a testimony that bringing them home is possible. We won’t let them wait any longer, they have no time. We must continue all the deal – this is not a question,” she added.
Ilay David, brother of hostage Evyatar David, said, "Yesterday, the world saw yet another act of Hamas’ cruelty—a video of Evyatar and his best friend, forced to watch as others were released in Hamas’ twisted, cynical parade. They were made to witness the door to freedom open, only to have it slammed shut in their faces. It was not just a video. It was psychological torture, another brutal reminder of the inhumanity our loved ones are enduring. But this video also carries an undeniable truth: Evyatar is alive. Guy is alive. Our hostages are alive. They are holding on, fighting to survive. And yet, we can see it in their eyes, in their frail bodies—they are running out of time. They are suffering. They are fading. Every second they remain in captivity, their lives hang in the balance. We must demand their immediate release—no exclusions, no delays."
Gal Gilboa-Dallal, Nova survivor and brother of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dallal added, "Guy and Evyatar are begging for us to save them, my baby brother is crying for help, and I am helpless, but not hopeless. This video, is the first sign of life we received from them, they are still alive, and they are together, it gives us a lot of hope and strength to keep fighting for them. They are alive, my baby brother is alive, and he is coming home. He and all the other hostages. They can't survive any longer, It is time to bring them all home.”
Orna and Ronen Neutra, the parents of American hostage Omer Neutra whose body is being held in Gaza, said, “We appreciate President Trump's unwavering commitment to resolving the crisis… to bringing ALL of the hostages back home! The living and the deceased. Our hope rests with the President to do whatever is in his power to make the next stages of the deal happen as soon as possible”.
Also speaking at the rally was Congressman Ritchie Torres, who said, “More than 15 months — over five hundred days. Instead of commending Israel for defending itself, the world should be pressuring it to release the hostages and bring them home. ‘Never again’ is not just a slogan, it is a sacred covenant between the world and the Jewish people. We, as Americans, have a special role in making that covenant a reality, standing alongside the Jewish people.”