"Here tonight to light a candle for all the hostages that are gone," said resident Yocheved Ruttenberg.
"My brother's a lone soldier so all the soldiers that are currently serving and fighting in Gaza, it's absolutely terrifying. All the families, all the lives that we lost during this time, we just wanted to come and light a candle for them."
Hamas gunmen burst into Israel on Oct. 7, killed 1,200 people in their homes, on army bases, along roads and at an outdoor rave, and inflicting sexual violence on some of their victims, according to a U.N. team of experts.
The gunmen also seized 253 hostages, including children and elderly, civilians and soldiers. Around half of them were released as part of a brief truce deal in late November.
Hadas Zubari, the aunt of hostage Naama Levy, worries that time for the hostages is running out.
"We're here today because we want everybody to be aware that this is still happening and we're still hoping that it's, a solution will be like any minute. We don't have time. Naama has no time."
While some hostage parents at Sunday's rally called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to bring home the hostages, speakers largely kept messages apolitical, focusing on their pain and the urgent need to get their loved ones home.
61-year-old demonstrator Yair Keshet called on the world to support Israel in their war against Hamas, and for the Israeli government to take action.
"The world should condemn it, the world should stand and to be with Israel, against Hamas, and to do anything that they can do to help us. And for our government, we demand them to do things as soon as possible and not to waste time."
