Isaac Herzog's Hanukkah Plea: These are fateful days - free the hostages! 

President Isaac Herzog held the second candle lighting ceremony of Hanukkah at the Presidential residence tonight (Thursday) together with families of hostages and a menorah brought from the north as a symbol of the need to return residents of the north to their homes.

At the ceremony, Herzog said that "the People of Israel wants all the hostages at home, who to a Jewish burial and of course for rehabilitating at home. Now we want the miracle, and we want the light, we want the miracle of Hanukkah want the miracle for the whole People of Israel, something to bring the nation together."

He continued: "I tell the whole nation, I tell the Israeli leadership, I tell the government of Israel - we are all making this effort together and bringing them home."

He then addressed Hamas' efforts to disrupt negotiations: "I warn against Hamas' psychological tricks...this is the culture of negotiation, this is also known from the past and I propose not falling into traps on this matter but to focus on the main goal - to conduct ourselves with cool heads, adopt brave decisions and bring them home."