25.6.07: B'Tselem: Holding Gilad Shalit as a hostage is a war crime On the one-year anniversary of the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, B'Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories , states that he must be released immediately. The organization says that the circumstances of his capture and the behavior of his captors clearly indicate that he is a hostage. International humanitarian law absolutely prohibits taking and holding a person by force in order to compel the enemy to meet certain demands, while threatening to harm or kill the person if the demands are not met. Furthermore, hostage-taking is considered a war crime and all those involved bear individual criminal liability. Hamas, which de-facto controls the security apparatus in the Gaza Strip, bears the responsibility to act to release Shalit immediately and unconditionally. Until he is released, those holding him must grant him humane treatment and allow representatives of the ICRC to visit him. The fact that Shalit's right to these visits has been denied constitutes a blatant violation of international law, says B'Tselem.
Hundreds of people marched in support of Betancourt during her time in captivity 
Íngrid Betancourt, a former Senator in Colombia who was being held captive by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) until her rescue as part of Operation Jaque, has called for FARC to release all its hostages.

"We want freedom for everyone," said Betancourt while speaking to a crowd of thousands in Paris, France. This was followed by chants of "Libertad", the Spanish word for freedom.

Thousands of people also marched through streets in Colombia after the broadcast of Betancourt's speech on Colombian television.

Betancourt was one of the 15 hostages rescued on July 2 by the Colombian army, who tricked FARC into handing over the hostages by pretending to be part of a non-governmental organization. She was kidnapped in February 2002 while campaigning for President of Colombia.

Despite the release of fifteen prisoners in Operation Jaque, FARC are still holding over seven hundred people in captivity. 

Betancourt also called for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, abducted by Palestinian gunmen on 25 June 2006 and held hostage by Hamas since. Shalit holds a French citizenship and has been denied rights to Red Cross (ICRC) visitation.