The Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross (ICRC) has not had the chance for greater than 590 days to visit hostages in Gaza and supply them with medical care. Nonetheless, Communications Coordinator for the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross Jacob Kurtzer tells Fox Information Digital that the group has been prepared to supply hostages with medical help “from day one” — regardless of not being granted entry to them.
“It’s no secret that the ICRC has not been in a position to go to hostages to hold out the work that’s mandated — to hold out our humanitarian work, to go to, to convey medication,” Kurtzer advised Fox Information Digital. “I can guarantee you it’s not for lack of attempting, and I can guarantee you that each single day, our colleagues right here, our colleagues at headquarters, and our colleagues at different delegations are working to attempt to discover a strategy to get entry.”
Worldwide Crimson Cross (ICRC) automobiles drive in Deir el-Balah as they transport US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander on Could 12, 2025, after being handed over by Al-Qassam Brigades. Palestinian militant group Hamas mentioned its armed wing handed over a US-Israeli hostage held in Gaza since October 2023 on Monday, forward of a regional go to by US President Donald Trump. (EYAD BABA/AFP through Getty Photos)
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Since its institution over 160 years in the past, the ICRC has prided itself on serving as a impartial physique targeted on delivering help and medical care. Nonetheless, for the reason that struggle in Gaza started, the ICRC has confronted criticism from some for not pushing to go to the hostages and for its volunteers participating in Hamas-led hostage launch ceremonies.
When requested by Fox Information Digital concerning the ceremonies, Kurtzer mentioned that ICRC staff in Gaza have “little or no means to dictate the phrases and the protocols of the release operations.” Nonetheless, he added that the group believes these hostage launch operations “should be achieved in dignity and needs to be achieved privately.”
“So, actually there have been issues that we noticed that we did not like. We conveyed our views about these instantly via what we name our bilateral and confidential dialogue,” Kurtzer mentioned.
Regardless of going through mounting stress and obstacles, the ICRC appears to be sticking to its mission. Kurtzer mentioned that the group is able to “soar at” any alternative to succeed in the hostages and supply them with help. Nonetheless, Hamas has nonetheless not given them that chance.
A girl appears to be like at posters with photos of hostages kidnapped within the lethal Oct. 7 assault on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 16, 2024. (REUTERS/Hannah McKay)
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Kurtzer additionally addressed the ICRC’s place on entry to Palestinian detainees held by Israel.
When discussing the shortage of alternatives to go to the hostages who’ve been held in Gaza since Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 bloodbath, Kurtzer additionally talked about that the ICRC want to have the chance to go to Palestinians being held by Israel. Fox Information Digital then pressed Kurtzer on whether or not the ICRC noticed the state of affairs of hostages in Gaza and Palestinians being held in Israel as equal. Kurtzer later clarified the feedback in an announcement to Fox Information Digital.
“The ICRC acknowledges the excellence between hostages and detainees enshrined in worldwide humanitarian legislation (IHL). Hostages are captured or held with the specter of being harmed or killed to stress one other celebration into doing one thing, as a situation for the hostage’s launch or security. Hostage-taking is a violation of IHL,” he mentioned. “We offer help and work to alleviate struggling on all sides of a battle. Beneath IHL, the ICRC should be notified of and granted entry to Palestinians in Israeli custody, and we proceed to hunt this entry.”
Palestinians proceed their day by day lives below harsh situations amid the rubble of destroyed buildings within the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza following the enforcement of a ceasefire settlement, on February 10, 2025. (Mahmoud ssa/Anadolu through Getty Photos)
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Past the hostages, ICRC is tasked with offering humanitarian help in Gaza, one thing Kurtzer mentioned is urgently wanted. He known as the state of affairs within the Strip “catastrophic.”
Kurtzer recalled the reduction that the latest ceasefire supplied these on the bottom in Gaza.
“It supplied hope. It supplied hope for households on all sides. It supplied hope to households of the hostages. It supplied hope for folks dwelling inside Gaza,” Kurtzer mentioned. Nonetheless, the resumption of navy motion has “contributed to a way of despair,” he mentioned.
A truck loaded with humanitarian help for the Gaza Strip makes its strategy to the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, Israel-Gaza border, Tuesday, Could 20, 2025. (AP Picture/Maya Alleruzzo)
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Since Kurtzer spoke with Fox Information Digital, Israel has altered its place on humanitarian entry, now permitting some help vans into Gaza. Nonetheless, critics argue that the dimensions of help stays inadequate.
U.Ok. Overseas Minister David Lammy introduced on Tuesday that his nation was suspending commerce talks with Israel over the dealing with of the struggle in Gaza. French President Emmanuel Macron additionally condemned Israel in a put up on X. Moreover, U.N. Beneath-Secretary-Common for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Reduction Coordinator Tom Fletcher mentioned the help being allowed in was a “drop in the ocean.”
“We actually consider that the trail ahead is one the place humanitarian help is allowed in and we urgently and we enchantment again and again for the events themselves to discover a higher path ahead as a result of what we’re seeing now’s simply actually very, very devastating,” Kurtzer advised Fox Information Digital.
