This screenshot from a video released on Aug. 1, 2025, by the armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas shows Israeli hostage Evyatar David in a tunnel. (Credit: AFP)
Relatives of Israeli hostages set sail on Thursday in a flotilla to approach the Gaza Strip, according to an AFP journalist aboard one vessel, with organizers saying they hoped to "get as close as possible to their loved ones."
More than 20 people boarded several boats that departed from the coastal city of Ashkelon carrying yellow flags and posters bearing the images of the hostages, as they shouted their names.
Speaking in English through a megaphone, Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is being held captive in Gaza, shouted: "Mayday, mayday, mayday. We need all international assistance to rescue the 50 hostages who have been held for nearly two years by Hamas."
"Please, we need international help," Cohen added.
Of the 251 people kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, by Hamas and its allies, 49 remain hostages in Gaza, of whom 27 have been declared dead by the army.
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