Campaigners call for the immediate release of hostages on Human Rights Day - The Jewish Chronicle

In dramatic scenes, campaigners wearing yellow blindfolds and T-shirts emblazoned with “Let them go!” demonstrated in central London on Tuesday afternoon, calling for the release of the 101 hostages still held in Gaza after more than 430 days.

Planned to coincide with International Human Rights Day, the group, holding posters of the captives, stood outside the embassies of Turkey, Qatar and Egypt, countries which have had significant roles in recent hostage negotiations and which, in the case of Turkey and Qatar, have expressed support for Hamas.

The demonstrators, led by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK and Stop the Hate campaign group, attempted to hand deliver letters demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages. Only the Egyptian embassy accepted the letter.

Attempting to deliver a letter to the Turkish, Egyptian and Qatari embassies in London. Only the Egyptian embassy accepted the letter (Photo: Elliott Franks)Elliott Franks

A spokesperson for the rally said: “Outside these embassies, our activists stood in solidarity with the hostages, ensuring their suffering is not forgotten. We will not rest until every hostage is brought home.

“We call on the global community to hold nations accountable for their role in enabling or mitigating such tragedies and demand immediate, concerted action for the release of innocent lives held in captivity.”

They said that while the Egyptian embassy had demonstrated “its willingness to engage in dialogue and uphold its responsibilities as a regional mediator”, Turkey and Qatar “must be reminded of their obligations under international law to condemn terrorism and take decisive steps to end this humanitarian crisis”.

The campaigners travelled in a bus which drew attention to the plight of the nine hostages with family ties to Britain.

The campaigners travelled in a bus which drew attention to the nine hostages with family ties to Britain (Photo: Elliott Franks)Elliott Franks

According to reports released on Monday, renewed mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas which would lead to a ceasefire and the release of hostages, had advanced to the stage where both sides were discussing lists of who would be released.

Mandy Damari, the mother of the only British hostage still in Gaza, has called on Britain to push for her daughter, Emily, 28, to be included on the list, along with several others who have links to this country.

Nivi Feldman, chair of Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK, said afterwards: “The 100 hostages is not an Israeli problem. It is a British problem and it's also a problem for the other 20 countries that have its nationals being held hostage for over 432 days in captivity against any human rights. Let them go today. Their families are waiting for them. We are all waiting for them.

"We hope the Qatar, Turkey or Egypt will manage to mediate a deal where all hostages return and all sides can heal.”

Itai Galmudy, Stop the Hate UK, said: “We will not rest until every hostage is brought home. We call on the global community to hold nations accountable for their role in enabling or mitigating such tragedies and demand immediate, concerted action for the release of innocent lives held in captivity.”

The Stop The Hate and Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK campaign groups, with posters of hostages held in Gaza after 430 days, attempt to deliver letters to the Turkish, Egyptian and Qatari embassies in London (Photo: Elliott Franks)Elliott Franks

Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Saar said: "We can be more optimistic than before, but we are not there yet. I hope we will be there.”

He added: "There will not be a ceasefire in Gaza without a hostage deal.”

On October 7 2023, hundreds of Hamas terrorists broke through the border fence between Gaza and southern Israel and massacred more than 1,200 people, taking over 250 hostages into Gaza. Of these, 101 remain.

Human Rights Day is observed annually and commemorates the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Topics:

Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK

Stop the Hate UK

Hostages