Israelis prepare for Passover amid hostage demands
STORY: Passover is traditionally observed with a seder, a holiday feast when families gather and celebrate freedom from biblical slavery. Many families are expected to have empty seats, representing those killed or taken hostage on October last year.
Israel remains on edge after Iran launched a direct attack on its territory for the first time earlier this month. In the south, the Israeli military is continuing its war with Hamas in Gaza that has killed 34,000 people, which began after the group's fighters attacked Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and abducting another 253, according to Israeli tallies.
Some of the hostages were freed in a November truce, but efforts to secure another deal to release the remaining 133 appear to have stalled for now.
