Vigil held at Golzheim's synagogue in honor of the slain hostages in Dusseldorf

On a chilly Thursday evening, the 20th of February, a sombre vigil was held in front of a synagogue at Paul-Spiegel-Platz, Berlin. The gathering was called by the Jewish community, following the tragic news of the deaths of four hostages in the southern Gaza Strip.

The four hostages, identified as Ariel, Kfir, Shiri Bibas, and Oded Lifshitz, were kidnapped along with their mother Shiri and father on October 7th, 2023, during a Hamas attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz. Oded Lifshitz, the father, was released nearly three weeks ago after being held captive separately.

Hamas handed over the bodies of the four hostages on Thursday morning. The handover took place in a city in the southern Gaza Strip, where masked and armed Hamas fighters were present. Photographs of the event were taken by journalist Karina Hermsen.

The vigil was held in the rain, reflecting the mood of the people. Over a hundred people came to the vigil, carrying candles and flowers. They gathered around the coffins, which were lined up on a stage, as a final farewell for the children. Balloons were released during the vigil as a poignant symbol of the innocence lost.

A large poster with a mocking depiction of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was displayed behind the coffins, adding a political dimension to the tragic event. The name of the unknown woman, whose body, according to Israeli forensic medicine, does not belong to Shiri Bibas, remains unknown.

The vigil was a heart-wrenching reminder of the senseless loss of life and the ongoing conflict in the region. The community, however, stood united in their grief, offering a poignant testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.