In a powerful maritime protest dubbed “Shayetet 50”, families of long-held Israeli hostages sailed toward Gaza, demanding a deal to bring their loved ones home before it’s too late.
In a scene brimming with emotion and urgency, a flotilla of boats dubbed “Shayetet 50” — not a military operation but a civilian cry of desperation — set sail Thursday morning from the Ashkelon Marina toward Gaza’s maritime border, carrying relatives of Israeli hostages still held captive by Hamas.
For two hours, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the boats edged south, inching as close as legally possible to the Gaza shoreline. Onboard were anguished parents, siblings, and children, holding up banners reading:
“Bring Us Back Our Children! Before It’s Too Late!”
At their closest point to the shore, families shouted through loudspeakers, hoping their voices — or at least their desperation — would reach across the water to their loved ones.
“We’ve seen the latest images. They’re starving. They’re skeletal. This is a Holocaust in real-time — and the world is silent. We will not be,” one mother cried.
As the boats rocked gently on the open sea, a father shouted:
“22 months! Our children have been buried alive in Gaza for 22 months. Chained. Starving. Forgotten in the rubble. This is not just our nightmare — it’s Israel’s.”
The flotilla, named for the 50 remaining hostages, served as a moving call to conscience. The families insisted:
“We are here at the Gaza border not just to scream — but to remind the world that a deal must be made. The war will not be won if we abandon our people.”
They warned that the country is on the edge of losing its moral compass, and called upon the Israeli public to rise up in solidarity:
“This is not a moment for political calculations. This is a moment to be human. Bring them home — now.”
