Digital billboards have gone back up in 18 locations across London that raise awareness of the hostages taken by Hamas terrorists from Israel on Oct. 7, after the original advertising company received complaints and concerns that resulted in the billboards being removed.
Launched by the Hostages and Missing Families’ Forum UK with help from the Embassy of Israel in Londonthe billboards display pictures and information about the hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Embassy helped negotiate a new arrangement to have the billboards put back up around London, and they also now feature the hashtag “Bring Them Home Now,” the Jewish Chronicle reported on Thursday.
The billboard campaign previously went live on Dec. 5 and was set to last for two weeks, but was stopped after just six days when the advertising company, London Lites, received thousands of complaints from the public, including threats to its staff members and business owners in the areas surrounding the billboards.
A spokesperson for the embassy told the Jewish Chronicle: “We are pleased to see that despite attempts to take down the campaign to bring back the hostages, London stands firm against terror and against aggressive threats. We will continue until every Israeli hostage held by Hamas in Gaza comes back home. Every minute is crucial.”
“We won’t stop until everyone gets home,” a member of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK told the British publication.
The British Jewish community had lambasted the original decision to remove the billboards, calling for the move to be reversed.