Hundreds rally near UN, at NYC synagogue to support families of Israeli hostages
MIDTOWN EAST, Manhattan (WABC) -- Families of Israeli hostages gathered at a New York City synagogue Tuesday evening to share the harrowing stories of their loved ones being held captive by Hamas.
They say they want the world to understand their horrifying reality. Jonathan Goldberg has spent his days wondering if his son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, is still alive.
"In this crazy upside-down world, to get notified that your child has been kidnapped by Hamas and taken into Gaza was cause to be happy," Goldberg said.
Hersh was kidnapped by Hamas and injured when his left arm was blown off. His mother, Rachel, addressed the U.N. earlier on Tuesday, calling for her American-born son and all the hostages to be released.
"There are over 200 hostages being held in Gaza right now, over 100 of them are from 33 countries, where is the world?" she said.
During the day on Tuesday, hundreds of people lined First Avenue for at least five blocks across from the United Nations Security Council to support the families of hostages inside as they spoke at the high-level meeting.
Relatives of hostages spoke as well as political leaders like Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
"We wanted to come out and support them, let them know the people of New York support them, and we'll do anything that we can to help bring their innocent family members back home," said Michelle Dayan.
Dayan and others are calling for the safe return of the people taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7.
That included Ruby Chen, who lives in Brooklyn. His 19-year-old son, Itay, was taken.
"Holocaust survivors' kids, people with special needs, these are the people you take hostage, today, now, the international community needs to act," Chen said.
Chen has previously told Eyewitness News that he is holding out hope for his son and hoping their happy memories will get him through this tough time.
Meanwhile Israel continues to bombard Gaza in the lead up to a possible ground invasion. Inside the U.N., there was an open debate about the situation in the Middle East.
Humanitarian aid is slowly trickling in to help Palestinians, but they, along with the U.N. secretary general, are calling for an immediate ceasefire.
ALSO READ | How aid groups are responding to the Israel-Hamas war, and where to donate
"For those actively engaged to avoid an even greater humanitarian catastrophe and regional spillover, it must be clear that this can only be achieved by putting an immediate end to the Israeli war launched against the Palestinian people," Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Ryad al-Maliki said.
But Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas, rejecting the calls for a cease-fire.
Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also dismissed calls for "proportionality" in the country's response to Hamas' surprise attacks on Israel.
He told the U.N. Security Council that the proportionate response to the Oct. 7 massacre is "a total destruction to the last one of the Hamas," calling the extremist group "the new Nazis." He stressed: "It is not only Israel's right to destroy Hamas. It's our duty."
More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage. In addition, 222 people including foreigners were believed captured by Hamas during the incursion and taken into Gaza, Israel's military has said.
Four of those have been released, including a mother and daughter from Illinois and two elderly Israeli women.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
ALSO READ | Upper East Side resident returns to Israel for IDF active duty as war continues
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