Relatives of hostages held in Gaza lit the first candle of Hanukkah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Some relatives cried during the lighting while holding banners with images of their loved ones who are still held captive in Gaza after more than a year.
“Families of the hostages, we all pray that even today, they will return to Jerusalem, to the Holy Land, safe and well,” said Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch.
Israel says Hamas is holding 100 hostages, over one-third of whom are believed to be dead.
The Israeli negotiating team working on a ceasefire returned from Qatar to Israel on Tuesday, the prime minister’s office said, after what it called “a significant week” of talks.
After months of deadlock, the United States, Qatar and Egypt resumed their mediation efforts in recent weeks and reported greater willingness by the warring sides to reach a deal.
According to Egyptian and Hamas officials, the proposed agreement would take place in phases and include a halt in fighting, an exchange of captive Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and a surge in aid to the besieged Gaza Strip.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel in October 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage by Palestinian militants.
Israel’s bombardment and ground invasion in Gaza has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was “some progress” in efforts to reach a deal but added he did not know how long it would take.
