Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 23, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 27, 2026
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Tel Aviv's drag festival honors Israeli hostages amid a ceasefire with Gaza, fostering hope for their return and addressing international criticism.
By Emily Rose
TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Yellow ribbons of solidarity with Israel's Gaza hostages featured alongside colourful performances at Tel Aviv's drag festival that opened this week, days after a ceasefire brought hope of the captives' return.
The ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas militant group came into effect on Sunday, with the first three hostages released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners. Some 30 more of the 94 hostages who remain in the enclave are meant to be freed over the next five weeks.
"I think we can continue our lives, we can continue celebrating," said the show's host, Kimberly Swan. "But the most important thing right now in our country is to bring our hostages back home."
The Gaza war was triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. It was the country's deadliest day and the pain it inflicted on Israelis still endures.
"It always feels like something is missing," said performer Joanna Russ. "Like our brothers and sisters are not next to us."
Israel's 15-month offensive in Gaza has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, health authorities there say, and laid waste to the enclave. Israel has faced fierce international criticism, including among artists around the world, for its campaign.
Some performers at the festival in freewheeling Tel Aviv said they hoped to rekindle ties with drag performers abroad.
"We are here to say we miss the queens and we hope they don't have a stigma about us," performer Nona Chalant said.
(Reporting by Emily Rose, Editing by William Maclean)
The article discusses a drag festival in Tel Aviv that pays tribute to Israeli hostages amid a recent ceasefire with Gaza.
The conflict resulted in significant casualties on both sides and has drawn international criticism towards Israel's actions.
Drag performers in Tel Aviv are using their platform to express solidarity with hostages and hope to rebuild ties with international peers.
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