“Red Ribbon Campaign” issues global call to save Palestinian hostages from “systematic execution plan”
In one of its strongest warnings since the beginning of the war, the “Red Ribbon Campaign” has issued an urgent global appeal for action, stating that Palestinian hostages are facing what it described as a “systematic execution plan” inside Israeli detention facilities.
The campaign called for widespread mobilisation on 16, 17, and 18 April 2026, in an effort to break international silence and place the issue of hostages at the forefront of global attention, amid escalating violations that it says are posing a direct threat to their lives.
Escalation inside prisons and warnings over the “legalisation of execution”
In its statement, the campaign stressed that what is happening inside prisons is no longer limited to detention and ill-treatment, but has evolved into systematic policies aimed at hostages lives. It stated that execution is no longer merely a political proposal, but has become a reality supported by legislation passed by the Knesset, backed by judicial cover, alongside what it described as the involvement of “doctors” in carrying out killings, in blatant violation of international medical and ethical conventions.
The campaign’s call included the following statement: “To the free people of the world, to everyone who refuses silence to be a cover for crime… in the darkness of the cells, which are among the worst on earth, Palestinian hostages are no longer facing imprisonment and abuse alone, but a clear and systematic execution plan.
We in the ‘Red Ribbon Campaign’ declare that the occupation has completed the pillars of its crime; execution is no longer a passing statement, but a reality legislated by the Knesset and approved by judges, while reality has revealed the volunteering of ‘doctors’ to participate in carrying out killings.”
Figures revealing the scale of the crisis inside prisons
The campaign stated that Palestinian hostages are not merely detainees, but individuals whose freedom is being violated in an attempt to break the will of the Palestinian people, noting that among them are children, women, doctors, and sick prisoners facing extremely harsh conditions.
According to statistics up to March 2026, the figures are as follows:
- 9,446 prisoners held in Israeli detention facilities
- 3,442 administrative detainees held without charge or trial
- 350 children and 79 women facing an uncertain fate behind bars
- 1,249 people from Gaza subjected to enforced disappearance under the designation of “unlawful combatants”
- 88 prisoners have died in custody since October 2023, bringing the total number to 325, while the bodies of 766 prisoners are still being withheld
The campaign stressed that these figures place the international community before its legal and moral responsibilities, warning that continued silence effectively provides cover for the continuation of these violations.
Call for global action over three days
The campaign urged mass public and media mobilisation on 16, 17, and 18 April 2026, stating that the aim is to turn these days into a global moment of pressure to protect prisoners.
Its statement read: “Join us on 16, 17 and 18 April 2026—three days to tell the world: they will not leave in silence. We will turn every square, every street, and every digital platform into a space demanding their lives.”
The campaign proposed several means of participation, including:
- Raising images of prisoners in public spaces and on digital platforms
- Hanging red ribbons in visible locations alongside their images, as a symbol of their blood and right to life
- Organising solidarity vigils and digital campaigns to break the silence
It concluded with an open appeal: “They are there for us… so will we be here for them? Do not let their images fall, and do not let their voices fade. Freedom for the prisoners… freedom for humanity.”
Statements: a call to break silence and demand international accountability
In a related context, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti said: “What we are witnessing today is the ultimate moral collapse of the occupation system; when the judiciary legitimises killing, and doctors volunteer to carry out executions, we are facing a fully-fledged war crime committed in cold blood against thousands of Palestinian hostages. The silence of the international community has given the green light to this brutality. We are not only demanding freedom, but an end to the execution machine installed by a false ‘democracy’ to kill the best of our people.”
Meanwhile, campaign coordinator Adnan Hmidan said: “The days of 16, 17, and 18 April represent an opportunity to break the wall of global silence; every red ribbon hung is a cry in the face of the executioner, and a message that our hostages are not alone, and that we will not allow the occupation to assassinate them in the darkness of the cells.”
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