Hanukkah: A Symbol of Hope Amidst Conflict

IDF soldiers, including paratroopers engaged in operational activities in Gaza, lit the first candle of Hanukkah in the field. In Jabaliya, Gaza Strip, Southern Command chief Major General Yaron Finkelman joined reserve soldiers fighting in the city's northern sector for the candle-lighting. At the Western Wall Plaza, families of captives held by Hamas illuminated 138 menorahs, symbolizing the number of captives, alongside the central menorah. Hanukkah candle-lighting events were also held in Tel Aviv, Berlin, and Ukraine. In Jerusalem, students at the Erlau Yeshiva lit 138 menorahs, each bearing the name of a captive, praying for their safe return.