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Atlanta rally for journalists killed in Gaza
Calls for Israel to stop its invasion of Gaza continued in Atlanta at a vigil for journalists killed in the Israel-Hamas war. Activists also shared their thoughts of the news of three hostages killed by Israeli soldiers.
ATLANTA - Calls for another ceasefire in Gaza continued Saturday in Atlanta at Freedom Park where a vigil was held for journalists killed in the Israel-Hamas war.
The ceremony was organized by Atlanta-based journalists.
Imam Salah Wazir read the names of all 64 journalists killed in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, as confirmed by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
"They gave their lives in the front lines and were caught in the crossfire," Imam Wazir said.
While the event was not a Free Palestine rally, some speakers, like Imam Wazir, did call for a ceasefire at the event.
"In my Friday sermon I said, and I say it now publicly, ‘Two wrongs will not make it right. Three wrongs won’t make it right. War and counter-violence is being used as a solution to our problems. It won’t work,’" he said.
Three Israeli hostages who were killed while waving white flag, according to IDF. (From left to right: Yotam Haim, Samer Talalka and Alon Shamriz)
Now, three Israeli hostages have been added to the death toll. They were shot and killed, mistakenly, by Israeli soldiers. According to the IDF, the hostages were shirtless and waving a stick with a white flag on it.
This tragedy increases the pressure on Israel, especially from within Israel, to negotiate another ceasefire with Hamas.
Wazir says he hopes that out of this tragedy, people can see just how many innocent people are getting caught in the crossfire of this war, and hopes it will bring Israel back to the negotiating table.
"And it is not working," he said. "It is not working. Killing is not a solution, you have to sit down, work it out. Why don’t you compromise for the sake of peace? Sit down and negotiate and talk."