Red Cross Stands Ready to Assist Gaza Hostages and Detainees

The Red Cross said Monday it stood ready to help bring hostages held in Gaza back to their families in Israel and deliver aid into the Gaza Strip. Delegations from Hamas, Israel and the United States are due to convene in Egypt for talks on Monday aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza. Both Hamas and Israel have responded positively to US President Donald Trump's proposal for an end to the fighting and the release of hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. "Our teams are ready to act as a neutral humanitarian intermediary to help bring hostages and detainees back to their families," said Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The ICRC insisted that humanitarian aid needed to resume "at full capacity" and be distributed safely to people wherever they were in the Gaza Strip. The Geneva-based humanitarian organisation said it had facilitated the release of 148 hostages and 1,931 detainees since October 2023. It has also facilitated the return of human remains. It said such operations were highly complex and needed meticulous logistical and security planning.