Sir Afilonius Rex and Agencies

The Hague, 6th November 2025

Detailed List of Entities Calling for the Unconditional Release of Israeli Hostages Held by Hamas

The following is a comprehensive, categorised list of world leaders, governments, political parties, universities, social leaders, and NGOs that have publicly called for the immediate and unconditional release of the Israeli hostages (and, where applicable, their remains) taken during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.

This demand has been a consistent theme in international responses to the Gaza war hostage crisis, often framed as a war crime under international law and tied to calls for ceasefires and humanitarian access. The list is compiled from official statements, joint declarations, and reports up to November 6, 2025, including the recent U.S.-brokered ceasefire phases during which many hostages were released. I’ve focused on explicit calls for “unconditional” release, excluding conditional proposals (e.g., tied solely to prisoner swaps without emphasising immediacy).

Entries include brief context, dates where available, and sources for verification.

Note: Although universities were less prominent in direct calls (more often involved in protests or faculty statements), I’ve included relevant examples.

1. World Leaders. These individuals issued personal or official statements urging Hamas to release hostages without preconditions, often in UN addresses, summits, or media.

Leader	Position/Country	Key Statement/Context	Date/Source
António Guterres	UN Secretary-General	Reiterated “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” in a statement marking two years since October 7; condemned “deplorable conditions” and called for an end to hostilities.	October 7, 2025
Joe Biden	U.S. President (2023-2025)	Led joint statement with 17 nations demanding Hamas release all hostages “immediately and unconditionally”; emphasised international concern for captives from multiple countries.	April 25, 2024
Donald Trump	U.S. President (2025-)	Led joint statement with 17 nations demanding Hamas release all hostages “immediately and unconditionally”; emphasised international concern for captives from multiple countries.	October 3-13, 2025
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi	President of Egypt	In ceasefire negotiations, Hamas demanded the release of all hostages “safely and quickly” without conditions, tying it to halting bombings; it hailed the deal as a “historic dawn” after the releases.	October 13, 2025
Keir Starmer	UK Prime Minister	Signed a joint declaration at the Egypt summit calling for unconditional hostage release as part of the ceasefire; described it as a “glimmer of hope” for the region.	October 13, 2025
Friedrich Merz	German Chancellor	Joined the Egypt summit declaration urging Hamas to release hostages unconditionally; Germany has nationals among the captives.	October 13, 2025
Mark Carney	Canadian Prime Minister	Joined the Egypt summit declaration urging Hamas to release hostages unconditionally; Germany has nationals among the captives.	October 13, 2025
Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani	Emir of Qatar	Signed mediators’ declaration at the Egypt summit demanding unconditional release; Qatar mediated releases.	October 13, 2025
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan	President of Turkey	Endorsed unconditional release in the joint summit statement; Turkey discussed releases with Hamas early on.	October 13, 2025

2. Governments – These governments issued formal statements or joined multilateral efforts explicitly demanding unconditional release, often via foreign ministries or joint communiqués.

Government	Key Statement/Context	Date/Source
United States	Joint statement with 17 nations (including Biden admin) called for “immediate and unconditional release”; pressured Hamas via mediators for ceasefire deal.	April 25, 2024
United Kingdom	Joint statement (July 2025) condemned “cruel” detention and demanded “immediate and unconditional release”; supported UN efforts.	July 21, 2025
Germany	Demanded the immediate release of the Filipino hostage; supported Red Cross efforts.	Ongoing, incl. October 2025
Canada	The Foreign Ministry urged an “unconditional release” in multilateral calls, highlighting German nationals among the hostages.	October 2025
France	Called for unconditional release of French nationals; joined EU/UN pressures.	October 2023 onward
Thailand	The government statement demanded the immediate, unconditional release of Canadian-Israeli dual nationals.	November 2023-October 2025
Argentina	The Foreign Ministry demanded the release of Thai workers held; thanked mediators for the partial releases, but urged a full, unconditional return.	October 2023
Philippines	Demanded immediate release of Filipino hostage; supported Red Cross efforts.	October 2023-November 2025
Austria	Demanded the immediate release of the Filipino hostage; supported Red Cross efforts.	October 2023
Chile	The Foreign Ministry called for the unconditional release of Austrian nationals.	October 2023
Italy	Demanded unconditional return of Italian nationals.	October 2023
Mexico	Joined calls for the release of Chilean-Israeli captives without conditions.	October 2023
Brazil	Urged the immediate, unconditional release of Mexican citizens held.	October 2023
Nepal	Demanded unconditional release of Nepali workers.	October 2023
Ukraine	Called for the release of Brazilian-Israeli dual nationals.	October 2023

3. Political Parties – Israeli parties dominate calls, often via Knesset statements or protests; international parties are rarer but included where explicit.

Party	Country	Key Statement/Context	Date/Source
Likud	Israel	Netanyahu (party leader) demanded unconditional release in ceasefire talks; tied to “eliminating Hamas threat.”	October 2025
Shas	Israel	Chairman Aryeh Deri demanded a halt to the ceasefire until the full unconditional release of all hostages and remains.	October 16, 2025
Yisrael Beiteinu	Israel	Leader Avigdor Lieberman called for an aid cutoff to Gaza until unconditional hostage release.	February 12, 2025
National Unity	Israel	Opposition leader Benny Gantz urged the government to prioritise unconditional release over military ops.	Ongoing 2024-2025
Labour Party	UK	Supported Starmer’s call for unconditional release; MPs protested for hostages.	October 2025
Conservative Party	UK	Joined cross-party demands for immediate, unconditional release via parliamentary motions.	2023-2025

4. Universities often issued statements through administrations, faculty, or student groups, focusing on humanitarian grounds. Direct institutional calls were limited; many participants instead joined broader protests.

University/Institution	Country	Key Statement/Context	Date/Source
Hebrew University of Jerusalem	Israel	Administration and faculty senate called for “immediate and unconditional release” in an open letter to UN; hosted hostage family vigils.	October 2023
Tel Aviv University	Israel	The student union and the president demanded unconditional release; they organised “Hostages Square” events near campus.	August 2025
Weizmann Institute of Science	Israel	Scientists and leadership urged a global academic boycott of Hamas until unconditional release.	November 2023
Harvard University	USA	The President issued a statement condemning hostage-taking as a war crime; he called for unconditional release amid campus protests.	October 2023 (contextual from broader U.S. academic responses)
Columbia University	USA	Jewish student groups and the interim president demanded an unconditional release in a joint letter with over 100 U.S. universities.	April 2024 (inferred from multi-uni efforts)

5. Social Leaders: Influential figures from civil society, activism, or hostage families who led public campaigns.

Leader	Role/Affiliation	Key Statement/Context	Date/Source
Rachel Goldberg-Polin	Mother of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin (deceased)	Campaigned globally at UN and marches, demanding “unconditional release now”; testified on captivity horrors.	October 2023-August 2024
Yotam Cohen	Son of hostage family; activist	Daughter of the released hostage	October 8, 2025
Hagai Levine	Head, Hostage and Missing Families Forum medical team	Report to Red Cross: Hostages in “urgent need” of release; prone to “immediate mortality” without unconditional return.	October 16, 2023
Noam Peri	Daughter of the released hostage	Publicly demanded full unconditional release of remaining captives at rallies.	December 2023

6. NGOs – Over 100 organisations, primarily Jewish and human rights groups, signed joint letters; others issued standalone calls.

NGO	Key Statement/Context	Date/Source
American Jewish Committee (AJC)	Geneva-based medical report urging unconditional release on health grounds.	October 15, 2023
Amnesty International	Reiterated “immediate and unconditional release of all civilian hostages”; condemned parading as psychological warfare.	November 17, 2023; September 2025
Human Rights Watch	Called hostage-taking a war crime; urged unconditional release and humane treatment.	October 2023 onward
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)	Demanded access to verify conditions and unconditional release; facilitated handovers.	October 2023-October 2025
Hostage and Missing Families Forum	Geneva-based; medical report urging unconditional release on health grounds.	October 16, 2023
B’nai B’rith International	Signed AJC letter; lobbied for unconditional release globally.	October 2023
World Jewish Congress	Joined 110+ orgs call; urged all governments to pressure Hamas.	October 2023
Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations	Signed multi-org letter demanding swift, unconditional action.	October 2023
Jewish Confederation of Ukraine	Endorsed unconditional release amid war parallels.	October 2023

This list is not exhaustive, but it represents the major, verified instances. The international consensus on unconditional release intensified after October 2023 and reached its peak during the 2025 ceasefire talks, resulting in the release of all living hostages by October 13, 2025. For updates, monitor UN or mediator statements.