“Red Ribbons” Campaign Pressures for Resumption of Red Cross Visits to Palestinian hostages
The “Red Ribbons” campaign for the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners renewed its urgent demands today, Tuesday, for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to take immediate, on-the-ground action. The campaign aims to ensure the effective implementation of the Israeli Supreme Court’s ruling issued on June 3, which lifted the total ban previously imposed on ICRC visits to Palestinian detainees.
This move comes amidst the ongoing isolation that Palestinian prisoners have endured since October 2023, during which they have been denied independent international monitoring or organized contact with their families. The campaign maintains that the continued absence of humanitarian visits exacerbates the suffering of detainees under conditions that demand urgent intervention.
A Legal Obligation, Not a Privilege
The campaign emphasized that the Supreme Court’s decision represents a fundamental legal shift that must be leveraged to achieve a humanitarian breakthrough. It stressed that independent humanitarian access is not a “privilege” granted by detention authorities, but an inherent obligation guaranteed by the Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law to protect persons deprived of their liberty.
In an open letter sent last week to the ICRC presidency, the campaign called on the organization to activate all its humanitarian mechanisms to ensure the resumption of visits according to professional standards, including comprehensive access to all prisoners, the conduct of private interviews, and the guarantee of regular, ongoing visits.
“No One Should Remain Isolated”
Adnan Hmaidan, coordinator of the “Red Ribbons” campaign, stated that humanitarian protection is not achieved through theoretical court rulings alone, but by applying them on the ground inside prisons. He added: “No Palestinian prisoner should remain hidden from the world’s eyes or isolated from humanitarian protection. We are demanding nothing more than respect for the humanitarian principles upon which the International Committee of the Red Cross was founded, which mandate the protection of all detainees without exception.”
Calls to End “Inaction”
For his part, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, criticized the continued absence of the Red Cross’s humanitarian role, stating: “If legal doors are no longer closed, and the legislative pretexts previously used no longer exist, then what is required today is actual action by the Red Cross to fulfill its responsibilities toward prisoners without discrimination.”
Lawyer Khaled Mahajneh, an expert on prisoner affairs, explained that there are “legal and ethical questions” being raised regarding the ICRC’s refrainment from fulfilling its duties. Mahajneh confirmed that the Supreme Court has removed the legal basis for the ban, and that any legislative attempts to obstruct the committee’s work have not amounted to enforceable laws, emphasizing that the opportunity for the Red Cross to fulfill its role is present, provided there is the will to do so.
Affirmation of Independence and Responsibility
The campaign clarified in its statement that its call does not intend to compromise the committee’s independence or the confidentiality of its work, but rather urges it to exercise its mandate with maximum effectiveness. While the campaign holds the Israeli occupation authorities primarily responsible for implementing the court’s decision and allowing humanitarian access, it stressed that the ICRC has a duty not to be content with merely “acknowledging the court ruling,” but to work toward ensuring its effective implementation.
The “Red Ribbons” campaign concluded its statement by affirming that it will continue its coordination efforts with the ICRC, the United Nations, and relevant international bodies until the resumption of ICRC visits to prisoners is guaranteed, in dedication to their dignity and rights as upheld by international law.
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