The scene in Hostages Square
I’m Crystal Goomansingh, CBC correspondent in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv.
Israelis fill every available inch of the square. Concrete barriers, meant to keep the large tents in place, have become pedestals for people hoping for a better view of the screens televising events of the day.
People cried, cheered and hugged when the first group of hostages were taken into the care of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
All of the 20 survivors of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks led by Hamas were freed by midday. Operation Returning Home, as the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) dubbed it, brought a sense of unity and jubilation that the thousands in the square said they were desperate for.
For two years, Hostages Square has been where Israelis have gathered to demand that their government end the war in Gaza and get all of the hostages back.
In a way, the crowd did get close to some of the survivors.
Several helicopters circled the square. The crowd erupted. Hands flew into the air, some holding cellphones to capture the moment while others waved madly.
The scene led to more tears and hugs. A woman in a bright orange outfit walked by our TV setup and smiled at us as she said, “What a day, What a day.”
Many here today and over the past two years accuse Netanyahu of not ending the war sooner, prolonging the suffering of the hostages, their families and Israeli citizens at large.
