Jerusalem/Tel Aviv (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today facilitated the transfer of four deceased hostages to Israeli authorities. ICRC teams also facilitated the transfer of 45 deceased Palestinians to Gaza.
These operations were carried out in line with the ceasefire agreement, and it is crucial that the parties and mediators ensure the agreement is faithfully upheld. The ICRC remains committed to fulfilling its role as a neutral intermediary so that families can have closure.
“We know that the families won't give up on their loved ones, and neither will we – we are prepared to fulfil our role for as long as it takes, and as agreed by the parties,” said Julien Lerisson, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Israel and the Occupied Territories.
“It is the responsibility of the parties to search for, collect, and evacuate human remains. The parties must endeavor to facilitate the return of the remains of the deceased to their families. The ICRC can fulfil its functions as a neutral intermediary only through the cooperation of all actors, and within the framework of the current agreement.”
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.
