Israelis mark 500th day since October 7 attacks

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00:00As the sun rose over Tel Aviv, Israelis solemnly laid down tarps to mark 500 days since their

00:06loved ones were taken captive. A flag displaying an hourglass was placed in the water, a reminder

00:12that time is running out. 73 hostages currently remain in Gaza, but only around half are believed

00:19to still be alive.

00:20I remember the 100th day, all the people were like, wow, how could we get to the point where

00:27we were 100 days missing them, now it's 500 days.

00:32We see how the hostages are brought back and they're really being saved at the last minute.

00:42They don't have any other minute to wait.

00:45So far, 19 Israeli hostages and more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners have been freed

00:50in the first phase of a ceasefire deal, which began on the 19th of January. Five Thai nationals

00:55have also been freed under a separate agreement. Protesters also gathered in Jerusalem, marching

01:01to call for all hostages to be released.

01:03Today we will fast for 500 minutes, a minute for each day they are held in captivity, and

01:09we will demand decision makers, both in Israel and the world, to bring all of them home as

01:15soon as possible and to let us, the families, know exactly the time where the last hostage

01:21is planned to be back home in Israel.

01:24The ceasefire's first phase ends in two weeks, but negotiations on the second phase are yet

01:29to take place. A Hamas official says talks could begin this week in Doha. Israel, meanwhile,

01:35is maintaining the pressure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's prepared to resume

01:39the fighting, something that would jeopardise the release of any more hostages.

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