Frequently asked questions on ICRC and the hostages held in Gaza

We want families in Israel and abroad to know that the plight of their loved ones being held hostage is one of our top priorities. 

• We facilitated the releases that took place in November 2023, when 105 hostages were released, and in October 2023, when four hostages were released. We stand ready to facilitate the release of all remaining hostages.
• We are persistently advocating for the release of the remaining hostages, directly with Hamas, with the Israeli authorities, and with other international actors who can influence the parties to the conflict to obtain access to the hostages.
• We strengthened our team in charge of this dialogue, to intensify our efforts. Our staff in Gaza is ready to visit the hostages and to facilitate any future release following an agreement reached by the parties.
• We continue to request information on the hostages and for access to them. We also continue to insist that they be able to share a message with their families.
• We have repeatedly and publicly declared that the hostages should be released immediately and unconditionally and without harm. We have also repeatedly declared that while in captivity they must be treated humanely, have access to medical care if needed, be able to get in contact with their loved ones, and that the ICRC be able to visit them to check on their wellbeing. 

Since 7 October 2023, we have received many inquiries from people in Israel, and abroad, desperate to know about the fate of their missing family members. Our President, Mirjana Spoljaric, met several times with representatives of the families, and our Head of Delegation in Israel has received the representatives and the families. We established a hotline for families to call and met several of them multiple times.

We have held meetings with different agencies in Israel providing the victims of the 7 October attacks with mental support, to offer our organization’s advice and expertise in treating persons impacted by armed conflicts. We have also reached out to embassies whose nationals are held hostage to provide them with relevant information.

Please find more information and details on: Information for people affected by the conflict in Israel.

From day one we’ve been advocating with Hamas to give us access to the hostages with four calls:

1. Immediate and unconditional release of all hostages

2. Information on the hostages and their health situation

3. Access to the hostages, to make sure that they are treated humanely and with dignity, to check their health conditions and provide the health care needed. Some of them also may require urgent treatment for their pre-existing health conditions and potentially new ones.

4. Send messages from the hostages to their families

We haven’t stopped this dialogue since the beginning, and we will continue. To build and maintain trust, our mode of operation is a bilateral, confidential dialogue.

We know from decades of experience that the way we can best influence change for those we want to help is to keep a low profile and advocate for the best interests of those we want to help discreetly and directly with those who have the influence to make a difference.

We are speaking with Hamas and we are also speaking with Israeli authorities on this issue. The content of these conversations is confidential – as is our approach globally – but what we can say is that we stand ready as a neutral intermediary to conduct humanitarian visits; facilitate communication between hostages and family members; and facilitate any eventual release. 

Those who are holding the hostages are responsible for their health and safety. They must treat them humanely and with dignity. We have repeatedly called for access, to check their health conditions and provide any support that is needed. From day one, we advocated behind closed doors for their release and welfare.

We are ready to help the hostages in any way we can – by visiting them in person to check on their health or to deliver personal medicines. We are eager to facilitate the exchange of messages between the hostages and their family members, and of course we are ready to facilitate their release. 

The parties and those who have influence were involved in the earlier negotiations. The ICRC is not a negotiator and did not take part in these discussions. However, the ICRC is ready to facilitate the implementation of humanitarian aspects of any agreement by the parties to the conflict, including any further release of hostages.

We are a neutral and impartial humanitarian organization and do not take part in any negotiations or political discussions between the sides. Our role is to support an agreement for the release of the hostages and remind both sides of their obligations according to International Humanitarian Law. We are ready to support any additional hostage releases at any moment; our role as a neutral intermediary is purely humanitarian.

Once an agreement has been reached by parties to the conflict, the ICRC plays a role as a neutral intermediary.  Our role is to safely facilitate the transfer of released hostages out of the Gaza strip to an agreed upon location.

Carrying out this function is complicated and requires logistical, medical, and security expertise. It also requires being trusted as a neutral intermediary by all parties. All the measures the ICRC takes are done to ensure the safety of the hostages being released, and of all staff involved.  

Our objective is that hostages are released immediately and reunited with their loved ones, as well as to gain access to them while they are in captivity. We have repeatedly said that the taking of hostages is in violation of International Humanitarian Law and that they must be released immediately and unconditionally. Until that happens, they must be treated humanely and with dignity. We have repeatedly called to be granted access to visit them, to check on their welfare, provide medical treatment, and re-establish contact with their families. 

Years of experience speaking with parties to conflicts and non-state armed groups have proven that our bilateral approach and confidential dialogue to raise issues of concern is important to achieve results, rather than public denunciations.

From day one we have been very vocal with our public call for the release of all hostages. We have published a dozen of statements where this has been communicated publicly. The ICRC and our President have met with relatives of the hostages several times and have publicly and repeatedly asked for their release. 

Please see:

Israel: A year of loss and pain | International Committee of the Red Cross (icrc.org)

ICRC President to meet with families of hostages | ICRC

We also advocate for the hostages in bilateral dialogue with those who have the influence to make a difference. The ICRC prioritizes a bilateral and confidential dialogue. People might not see us on television or on social media speaking about these talks. However, we are not outspoken because we know from decades of experience that for the ICRC, the way we can best influence change for those we want to help is to keep a low profile and advocate for the best interests of those we want to help discretely and directly with those who have the influence to make a difference.

Please see the video answering your question “why are you silent?”

In its role as a neutral humanitarian intermediary, the ICRC has been asked to support the transfer of deceased from Gaza to the authorities in Israel. The ICRC will not participate, be present or facilitate any transfer of human remains between the sides without an agreement in place between all the parties. The ICRC does not participate in sorting, screening, or examining the deceased; this is the responsibility of the parties to the conflict.

The ICRC remains ready to facilitate future elements of the cease fire agreement. We have been consistent in our view, expressed privately and publicly, that all releases be conducted privately and in a dignified manner. We remain concerned and unsatisfied in the way the release operations have taken place. Specific concerns are relayed directly to the parties in bilateral and confidential dialogue.

Families have the right to receive news about their loved ones and bury them respectfully and in line with their traditions. The remains of individuals should be recovered, properly managed and identified to help prevent and resolve the tragedy of people unaccounted for as a result of armed conflict. In all cases where people are killed, or die, during conflict, their bodies must be handled respectfully and with dignity. We understand how painful it is to have loved ones go missing. We also recognize the pain when loved ones are unable to be buried in a traditional manner.

We know that your situation is incredibly distressing. You are not alone. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is doing its best to help those impacted by this situation. Despite the difficult security conditions, our teams are working around the clock to help as many people as possible.

Since armed hostilities began on 7 October, we have received many inquiries from people in Israel, Gaza, and internationally desperate to know about the fate of their missing family members.

We fully understand how devastating it is for families not to know the fate of their loved ones. Within ICRC's mandate and capacities, we are ready to do everything we can to help.

We know many people are trying to reconnect during this challenging situation. We are currently experiencing a high number of calls. Please continue trying the below numbers. We are working to respond to all calls.

For contact in Hebrew and English, you can reach the ICRC by calling: 03 524 5286. If you are calling from abroad, call + 972 3 5245286.

For contact in Arabic, you can reach the ICRC by calling: 08 283 2400.

For more information, please visit: Information for people affected by the conflict in Israel