Frequently Asked Questions
Blue Ribbons FAQs
Tying blue ribbons on trees raises public awareness about the hostages who were kidnapped in a mass abduction on October 7, 2023 from southern Israel.
Making a public display using ribbons shows 24x7x365 support for:
urgent action by government officials.
prominent media coverage everyday.
affected family, friends, colleagues, and communities.
Let's make our streets and towns blue until all the hostages come home.
Yes, blue ribbons are effective when tied to street-visible things, such as trees, lamp posts, porch posts, woven in fencing, and on car mirrors.
In addition:
Congresspeople are tying blue ribbons in big bows on their office doors.
Schools and houses of worship are tying them inside and outside their buildings.
Town boards are approving them for public property.
We recommend only tying ribbons on your own property, unless you have received permission from others.
Ask your friends, neighbors, church, synagogue, mosque, town, or favorite businesses to tie blue ribbons in front of their homes, organizations, and offices.
Absolutely. The more visible that you tie the ribbon, the better.
The ribbons are blue because this color is most common to the flags of the countries with the most hostages.
Countries of hostages with blue in their flags include:
The United States, Israel, and also Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, France, Nepal, Netherlands, Philippines, Russia, Tanzania, Ukraine, and the UK.
The "Days in Captivity" counter on the home page uses the formula of end date minus start date to count full days.
This method is a common approach for counting days, as used by:
online date calculators (the top 3 Google search results)
spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets)
Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs related to the events of Oct 7
Other methods are also valid:
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum uses specific times (instead of dates).
Other sources uses dates, but add 1 day for the current date.
For more details, see:
.
Hostage FAQs
These sources summarize the events of October 7, 2023, when the hostages were taken:
warning: graphic images
New York Times, 2023-10-10
Mapping the Massacres (& Hostages)
Oct7Map.com
Some hostages have been released by Hamas through negotiation. Others were found in Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces, alive or dead, and brought out of Gaza to return home. Until the last hostage is rescued, blue ribbons tied within street-view keeps the hostages' ongoing captivity front and center, until the last captive has returned home.
No.
The US National Security Advisor, meeting with the President of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC), called for "the imperative need for the ICRC to have access to and provide medical assistance" to hostages.
The ICRC has not been able to:
get a census of hostages
distribute medication for hostages with chronic disease
assess medical care for injured hostages
determine adequate food is provided to the hostages
inspect locations where hostages are held for humane conditions
On day 44, the ICRC stated:
"We have repeatedly asked for access to the people being held, to check on their health conditions and make sure they have the humanitarian assistance they need ... but first we must have access to them."
On day 58, the President of the ICRC first visited Gaza and stated:
"The hostages must be released and the ICRC must be allowed to safely visit them."
On the same day, the President of Hadassah, a US non-profit of 300,000 women volunteers, stated:
From one humanitarian organization to another, we implore the ICRC to take action to demand an end to the physical, sexual and emotional abuse of the hostages, transfer much-needed medication and food to them, and put them in contact with their families.
On Day 75, the President of the ICRC was interviewed on Israel N12 News and stated:
We currently don't know where they [the hostages] are.
No.
Qatar and France brokered a deal with Hamas to deliver urgent medication to 45 of the hostages. (Reuters, Jan 16)
Qatar transported the medicines and confirmed they were being delivered to the hostages (Washington Post, Jan 17)
Israel Defense Forces discovered unopened boxes of medicine at Nasser Hospital in Gaza labeled with the names of the hostages (i24 News, Feb 18)
More details: Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Feb 21
See: Times of Israel, How an unprecedented medical committee determines when a hostage held in Gaza is dead
Other FAQs
Since the hostages were kidnapped, the UN has been frequently criticized for its lack of action, and even endorsement of hostage taking:
UN Woman
The Hill, US House lawmakers accuse UN Women of disregarding Hamas attack (Nov 30) 80 House members demand that UN Women — an arm of the UN advocating for gender equality — condemn Hamas for the Oct. 7 attack, and particularly for targeting women. In the bipartisan letter, the Representatives criticize a UN Women's report that "does not mention any assessment about the wellbeing of the many women – Israeli, American and other nationalities – being held hostage by Hamas."
UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
UN Watch, UNRWA Hate Starts Here (Nov 6) UN teachers in Gaza "celebrated" and "endorsed" hostage-taking.
UN Security Council
US Ambassador to the UN, Letter to the UN Security Council (Dec 8)
We still cannot comprehend why the resolution’s authors declined to include language condemning Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on Israel on October 7. An attack that killed over 1,200 people. Women, children, the elderly. People from a range of nationalities. Burned alive. Gunned down. Subject to obscene sexual violence. We are very disappointed that for the victims of these heinous acts, the resolution’s authors offered not their condolences, nor condemnation of their murderers. It’s unfathomable. Nor is there condemnation of the sexual violence unleashed by Hamas on October 7. The resolution also fails to encourage a resumption of humanitarian pauses, to allow for the release of hostages and an increase of aid. This formula has worked. It could resume very quickly, if Hamas agreed to release women and civilian hostages.
US Ambassador to the UN, Letter to the UN Security Council (Nov 15)
I am horrified that a few members of this Council still cannot bring themselves to condemn the barbaric terrorist attack that Hamas carried out. A group that killed and took hostages including children from over a dozen countries, including the United States. There is no excuse for failing to condemn these acts of terror.
UN World Health Organization (WHO)
US Mission to International Organizations in Geneva, Statement at the Special Session of the Executive Board & Explanation
We are disappointed that the resolution text ... does not even mention that Hamas’ attack killed over 1,200 people, women, children, and the elderly, or the acts of sexual violence Hamas has perpetrated. It doesn’t mention that over 200 hostages were taken, people of many nationalities, including infants and the elderly, and that many continue to be held by Hamas. It also fails to condemn Hamas’s documented practice of deliberately sheltering themselves among civilians, including inside residential buildings, hospitals, and schools, deliberately increasing the likelihood of civilian casualties when terrorist military targets are struck. We reiterate that humanitarian pauses should be accompanied by the unconditional release of all remaining hostages still held by Hamas and expect that in the interim the hostages’ humanitarian needs, including medical care, must be met.
No. The project is focused on raising awareness about the hostages, regardless of age, gender, race, nationality, or beliefs. Hostage taking is never justified, for any reason or cause. Our message is humanitarian.