At the request of the parties, the ICRC's neutral intermediary role in this operation begins once the remains of the deceased are handed over to staff. ICRC teams are taking measures to ensure the deceased are handled with respect, including by providing body bags, refrigerated vehicles and deploying additional staff to facilitate this process.
Families grieving the loss of their loved ones have already endured unimaginable pain. All parties must ensure that the return of human remains is done under dignified conditions, and uphold dignity and humanity.
The ICRC has long experience in management of the dead as part of its mandate. The ICRC calls on the parties and the mediators to ensure the agreement is faithfully applied and that the remains of the deceased returned to grieving families. It is a pivotal task and an essential element for the full implementation of the agreement.
Note to editors:
The ICRC will not be providing any footage of released hostages or detainees during these operations. This is out of respect for the dignity of those released and the condition they may be in, as well as issues linked to their safety. We strongly recommend that media outlets do the same.
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 situations of 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:
ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 34 43, email: press@icrc.org
