Vigil in London for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel

Dozens of people gathered in central London on Saturday, calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Tens of people gathered in central London on Saturday to call for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, drawing attention to those detained under what Israel calls ”administrative detention” — a system under which people can be held for indefinite renewable periods of time without a charge and without having committed an offence — on the grounds that a person plans to break the law in the future.

Activists wore red ribbons, which they said symbolised danger and urgency, in an effort to draw the world’s attention to the plight of Palestinian prisoners.

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Organisers of the vigil said they wanted the gathering to mark the start of a global campaign.

There was a particular focus on Dr Hussam Abu Safia, former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, who was taken from that medical facility by the Israeli army in December 2024. His lawyer and family members say he has been beaten, tortured and subjected to inhumane treatment in Israeli custody, including prolonged periods of solitary confinement.

“We are clear about this vocabulary – they are hostages, not like any prisoners, and our symbol today is Dr Hussam Abu Safia,” said Adnan Hmidan, chair of the Palestinian Forum in the United Kingdom and the event organiser.

“They collected him from the hospital while he was wearing his white coat and took him in the tank, in front of everyone in that hospital,” Hmidan said, adding that some Palestinian detainees are unable to see their lawyers and do not have court dates.

Addameer, a Palestinian human rights organisation tracking political prisoners, said there are 9,300 Palestinian political prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons, with the majority of them held without trial or charge.

The group said the figure does not include detainees held in Israeli military camps. Addameer said there are at least 3,350 Palestinians arrested from the occupied West Bank who are classified as ”administrative detainees”.

Israeli human rights organisation, B’Tselem, said, according to official figures from the Israel Prison Service, about 10,900 Palestinians were being held in Israeli prisons or detention facilities on “security” grounds as of late 2025. This includes 2,931 people from the Gaza Strip, according to the same source.

Activists and human rights advocates at the London vigil said they hoped their campaign would eventually have a tangible effect.

“It’s also to remind people what’s going on, and that we haven’t forgotten them, and I know from other sources that people in Gaza, in Palestine, appreciate that we here are doing all that we can,” Eva Nazem told Al Jazeera.

“People who could do something are staying quiet, not doing enough, the government, and we just need to keep putting the pressure on,” Nazem said.

“Our presence here is twofold. It’s to remind people that it isn’t over, the ceasefire is in name only. It’s not effective. People like Dr Safia, who have been absolute heroes, are imprisoned and tortured, and it’s not acceptable,” she said.

As people stood in silence holding placards, Palestinian Forum’s Hmidan was keen not to frame the London event as a demonstration or a protest march, instead describing it as “a silent, peaceful act of solidarity”.

“There are many ways of lobbying and campaigning. We respect different kinds of protest, but here we have something about humanitarian issues,” he said.

“They [Palestinian prisoners] are human, they have their own stories, they have their own families,” Hmidan told Al Jazeera.