Around 100 ex-hostages or loved-ones of Israelis abducted in the October 7 attacks demonstrated outside the International Criminal Court Wednesday, urging legal action against Hamas leaders.
Those flown in from Israel were joined by scores of supporters, many draped in Israeli flags, brandishing pictures of hostages, and chanting "bring them back now."
Graphic images of the attacks were displayed on big screens and family members took to the stage to recount harrowing stories of that day, during which Hamas-led Palestinian militants took around 250 hostages.
"They came into our homes, violated us, raped us, and killed us," said Yamit Ashkenaz, whose sister Doron Steinbrecher was kidnapped.
"They took my sister from her bed, from the place that was supposed to be the safest place in the world for her," she told the crowd.
Some hostages have been released. But Israeli officials believe some 130 are still held in Gaza, with 29 thought to be dead.
Efraim Zuroff, from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organisation, told AFP in an interview he was supporting his neighbours, whose son was captured.
"People need medicine, they don't get medicine. People need treatment, they are not given treatment. They are treated like animals," said Zuroff.
Raz Ben Ami was released after 54 days but her husband Ohad is still captive.
"Today is Valentine's Day and Ohad, the love of my life and the father of my girls, is still being held in Gaza," she said.
"Every day without him feels like an eternity. I'm here waiting for you," she said.
The delegation was in The Hague to file a complaint against Hamas leaders at the ICC, which has an ongoing investigation into possible war crimes in Gaza and Israel.
ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan on Monday reiterated his call for all hostages in Gaza to be released but also warned against Israeli military action in Rafah.
The ICC is the world's only independent court set up to probe the gravest offences including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
International law experts have told AFP that war crimes have likely been committed by both sides in the war, sparked by the Hamas attacks.
That attack resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
At least 28,576 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israel's response, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
- 'A better future' -
Udi Goren, a 42-year-old photographer and tour guide, told AFP that Hamas gunmen shot dead his cousin and took the body to Gaza.
"We are here not as the state of Israel. We are here as the families of those who were hit by the terror of October 7," Goren said.
"We are doing this for all of Israel, for all Jews around the world and for everyone who believes that our region deserves a better future," he said.
Before leaving for The Hague, Ofri Bibas, whose brother is held in Gaza, told reporters: "This is not just our story. If we don't stop this, tomorrow it will be the story of the entire world."
"The entire human race must stand together against a global terror army, of which Hamas is just one unit on its mission," she said.
Hostage families have kept intense pressure on Israeli authorities to secure the release of the remaining captives.
The demonstration in The Hague came as mediators in Egypt were hoping to clinch a ceasefire that would see more hostages released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Goren said his message for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to "bring this to an end right now" and get the hostages back.
"Once we are done with that, we must deal with the second goal: which is securing Israel's future," he told AFP.
"And not just Israel's future, the future of our region, finding a resolution for how we and the Palestinians can continue co-existing in the same region peacefully."
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