Thousands of people rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday in support of the hostages still being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Former hostages, some freed as part of a seven-day ceasefire that expired Friday, spoke publicly for the first time in a video broadcast before the meeting.

In brief interviews, the four women spoke of their fear, hunger and sleeplessness during their captivity after being abducted during Hamas’ unprecedented October 7 offensive on Israeli soil. About 1,200 people were killed during the attack, mostly civilians, according to officials, and another 240 were kidnapped and taken to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

“Our daughters have seen things that people of this age or any age should never see.”Daniel Aloni, 45, was released on Nov. 24 with his 5-year-old daughter. “Food was not plentiful, and as time went on, it became less and less”Titza Heyman, 84, posted on Tuesday.

The freed hostages urged the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to take all necessary steps to free the hostages. “It is the moral duty of this government to bring them home immediately without hesitation.”said Yocheved Lifschitz, 85, who was released in October.

“We need to bring back my Sasha and the others.” Detainees Elena Trubanov, a hostage released Wednesday, points out that her son is still a hostage during the rally. As the Israeli military confirmed the deaths of five hostages on Friday, the families want to press authorities for the release of their loved ones even more.