News release

ICRC president arrives in Israel

Geneva (ICRC) - Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), arrived in Israel on Thursday to discuss humanitarian needs and access to people affected by the ongoing conflict, in particular those held hostage.

President Spoljaric will meet with families of hostages to listen to their concerns and to share with them the ICRC's relentless efforts to gain access to them; ICRC personnel must be granted permission, and practical details agreed to between the parties, for visits to take place.

President Spoljaric will meet with top Israeli officials to discuss ICRC’s work to aid victims of the conflict in Israel.

On Friday, President Spoljaric will visit the West Bank.

About the ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.

For more information, please contact:

Press@icrc.org

FAQ

Our work in Israel and the occupied territories

The ICRC has been present in Israel and the occupied territories (including the Golan, West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Shebaa Farms) since 1967. As a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization, we promote compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL) and work to mitigate the impact of armed conflict, other violence and occupation on civilians through our protection activities and assistance programs.