Demonstrators at Central Park rally demand hostages held by Hamas be brought home
NEW YORK -- Thousands of people gathered in Central Park on Sunday, demanding the safe return of hostages still being held by Hamas.
Sunday marked 156 days of captivity for an estimated 130 people, including American citizens.
Local and state officials joined community leaders for the "Bring Them Home Now" rally and march, where they called on the United Nations, the United States, and Israel to prioritize hostages above all else.
"Bring them home now," one person said.
"And this is the time to press the area, release hostages at once," another said.
"We never would have imagined we'd have to be here five months later saying the same thing we said then and we said it every day since. Bring them home," another added.
Israel says 1,200 civilians were killed when the war began on Oct. 7, and the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 31,000, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
