THE Israeli Embassy in Manila has tapped the ubiquitous jeepney for its campaign to generate public awareness and call for the safe return of the remaining 129 hostages being held by the Hamas militants in Israel.
Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss said the 10 participating jeepneys which offered free rides on Friday were bedecked with Israeli flags and canvasses showing profiles of the hostages.
“Our aim is to raise awareness for the swift release of the 129 that have been abducted by the Hamas organization since October 7. Today we are using jeepneywith canvass to convey a message of solidarity with Israel for the safe return of the abductees,” Fluss explained.
The envoy urged Filipinos to pray for safety of those affected by the war in his country. The war began on October 7 with an unprecedented attack by Hamas militants. They broke through Gaza’s militarized border and killed some 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP report. The Hamas also allegedly abducted about 250 people.
Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel began a relentless bombardment of targets in Gaza, alongside a ground invasion, which Gaza’s Hamas government on Wednesday said has killed at least 20,000, mostly women and children.
Hopes that Israel and Hamas could be inching towards another truce and deal to free the remaining 129 hostages had risen this week as the head of the Palestinian militant group visited Egypt and talks took place in Europe.
However, the stated positions of Israel and Hamas remain far apart.
Hamas’s military wing said on Thursday that Israel’s objective to eliminate it was “doomed to fail” and that further releases of hostages depended on a “cessation of hostilities”.
Qatar, backed by Egypt and the United States, last month helped broker a first week-long truce that saw 105 hostages released, including 80 Israelis freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.