The operation began in October with the release and transfer of 20 living hostages and 1,808 detainees. In subsequent phases, the ICRC facilitated the return of the deceased, including 27 out of 28 hostages, and 360 Palestinians.
The ICRC undertook this complex humanitarian work, which requires meticulous logistical and security planning to minimize the risk to life for anyone involved, strictly at the request of, and in coordination with, the parties along with the support of the mediators. This work reflects the ICRC’s long-standing role as a neutral intermediary – one that has supported similar release and transfer operations since the start of the conflict.
Since October 2023, the ICRC has supported the return of 195 hostages – including 35 deceased – and 3,472 detainees. The ICRC also facilitated the transfer of 360 deceased Palestinians to Gaza.
“We are relieved to have helped reunite families with their loved ones. For families whose deceased relatives were returned, we hope this brought the possibility to fully mourn,” said Julien Lerisson, head of the ICRC delegation in Israel and the Occupied Territories.
“It is essential that the ceasefire agreement holds beyond this phase, that humanitarian assistance is allowed and facilitated into Gaza, and that international humanitarian law (IHL) is upheld so people can begin to rebuild their lives with dignity,” he added.
“Reopening the Rafah crossing plays an important role in addressing people’s immediate needs. More broadly, enabling the entry of specialized items required for the rehabilitation of infrastructure, as well as the dignified recovery and identification of human remains is essential in that regard.”
In Gaza, humanitarian conditions, while improving, have remained dire. People continue to face death, destruction and immense suffering. Thousands of families are still waiting for news of missing relatives, many believed to remain beneath the rubble. Many families are also facing significant difficulties identifying their loved ones because of limited forensic capacities.
“There is still much work to be done, and no single entity can shoulder this work alone,” Lerisson said.
Note to editors:
The ICRC does not provide imagery of hostages, detainees, or deceased persons during these operations. This is out of respect for the dignity of those returned 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:
Patrick Griffiths (Gaza) - tel: +972 52 601 1950 - email: pgriffiths@icrc.org
Amani Al Naouq (Gaza) - tel: 972 56 281 5029 - email: aalnaouq@icrc.org
Gilad Grossman (Tel Aviv) - tel: +972 52 601 9123 - email: ggrossman@icrc.org
