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Since the start of the war in Gaza, the square has become a focal point for protestors to vent their frustrations with the Israeli government over the return of the 251 hostages captured on Oct. 7 2023, when about 1,200 people were also killed.
Israel’s ensuing military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, and forcibly displaced most of its 2.3 million population.