Families of Israelis being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip held a rally outside the UN offices in Armon Hanatziv in Jerusalem on Monday, telling the UN to "turn every stone" to bring their relatives home.
The protesters placed cribs with the photos of the kidnapped children in front of the UN offices.
Vered Windman, the executive director of the Israel National Council for the Child, stated in an address at the rally that there are 32 children who have been held hostage by Hamas for the past 38 days.
"An unimaginable nightmare. It is hard to grasp even by the most resilient. A deplorable crime against humanity, and at its center – turning children into trading cards, at the expense of their most basic wellbeing. Turning them into means of barter, at the expense of their humanity," said Windman.
"Where do they sleep? What do they eat? Who tends to their medical needs? Who hugs them when they are afraid? In this traumatic situation, who gives them warmth, care, and embraces them? Childhood is a time of play, of friendship, of growth, of first love. All of these were brutally taken from them."
Windman stressed that "The plight of these children should not be merely the concern of their families, or the citizens of Israel. The plight of these children must be the plight of the entire world."
'Bring them home now'
The executive director of the Israel National Council addressed the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying "Bring them home now. This is your moral duty. You have to turn every stone, use every means at your disposal. Think about your own children. This is the most urgent task you may have. Do not stop until all of these children are safely back home."
"We will not lose hope, we will not stop fighting, we will not stop demanding that the international community fulfill its responsibility. We will not stop calling to bring them home now – before it is too late."
Pascal Soto, the top official of the office in Jerusalem, told the families at the rally that Guterres is "doing his utmost" to secure the release of the hostages, according to the AP.