Meanwhile, a Massachusetts man whose relatives were taken hostage by Hamas militants is still waiting for those family members to be returned to Israel.
A number of pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered in Salem, Massachusetts, to call for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza as Hamas and Israel continue to exchange hostages amid their four-day truce deal.
Organizers of the protest held what they called a « die-in, » as people lay down to represent the thousands who have died in Gaza. The demonstrators brought caskets and used red paint to symbolize the death and bloodshed caused by the war.
« It’s real people, real children, and we need to think of it that way, » said Fawaz Abusharkh, spokesperson for the Palestinian House of New England. « We need to push for a permanent cease-fire. »
Needham resident Jason Greenberg, who has family members who are still being held hostage by Hamas, said they support the First Amendment rights of pro-Palestine demonstrators but they want the focus to be on the terrorist group for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
« I want to keep this top of mind for people because I see the rise in antisemitism and, really, the insulting toward people that are being held hostage and have been for over seven weeks, » Greenberg said.
Greenberg said five of his relatives were abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7. Two of those relatives, 80-year-old Carmela Dan and her 13-year-old granddaughter, Noya Dan, were killed.
