The Red Cross is facing intense criticism in Israel for not doing more to assist and push for the release of hostages held in Gaza, including delivering vital medicines.

Sderot

Israel and Iran have agreed a ceasefire after a twelve day conflict. Meanwhile, Israel strikes in Gaza continue with the humanitarian crisis deepening.

Middle East Conflict

Anger against Red Cross in Israel for failing to help hostages

Red Cross, are you a humanitarian organisation? I don't think so. The hostages, this is what we demand. No, no, no, no. Many emotions on display at the demonstration in front of the Jaffa home of Alessandra Mennegon, the Red Cross representative in Israel. These voices are from all over Israel and testify to the broad feelings among the public. Israelis simply do not like the Red Cross. Let her move from Jaffa, go, leave in Gaza. I don't think she should be here. I don't think she should be sharing the same oxygen with me right now. So these are some of our offices for our operations. We have cooperation, some economic security. This week, we received permission to visit the offices of the International Red Cross in East Jerusalem, a body that acts discreetly. Its officials say this is the most successful way to deliver humanitarian aid to war victims around the world. We do also have more teams operating in Gaza and in the West Bank area. But the fact is, for over 70 days, the organisation has not met any of the scores of hundreds of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. They have not provided any humanitarian aid or medicine. The Red Cross says it's not that it doesn't want to, it's that it can't. People sometimes have the idea that the Red Cross is an organisation that can achieve anything in conflict, that we can swoop in anywhere, we can access anywhere. And while we work so that we can do this, we always need the agreement of parties in conflict. One of the fundamental principles of the Red Cross is the fact that it is neutral. It must not take sides in any conflict in order to be acceptable to both parties. Our neutrality means that sometimes publicly, we don't say things so that behind the closed doors, in the direct discussions with the people involved, with the parties involved, with Hamas, we can say what needs to be said and know that we can have that dialogue, that we can engage with them. But when Red Cross President Mirjana Spoliaric visited Gaza two weeks ago, she released a video that outraged many. I have just visited the European Gaza hospital and the things I saw there is beyond anything that anyone should be in a position to describe. It took her a minute and a half to mention the Israeli abductees and then it appeared only casually. We have to protect the rights of the hostages. When she arrived in Israel for a short visit, she met the members of the families of the abductees. They had harsh words for her. My son is suffering from asthma. This is his inhaler. Please make sure that he will get it. I don't know the address for a visit in Gaza, but he needs to get it. In recordings obtained by Yulan Cohen, the tone of the meeting is clear. It's been two months and the Red Cross haven't said a word publicly, condemning what happened on October 7th. We did. I did. Yes. This baby and this child didn't come back. No. Wait. Wait, let me finish, please. I left the meeting shaken. I don't know how you can sit so coldly in front of people who tell you that their loved ones are in such a difficult situation and your answer is so correct and so measured. My son has a colitis disease and his medicine, I don't want my son that will come back in a black plastic bag. You've been in Gaza last week at the Palestinian hospitals. If they afford you to go inside Gaza, you need to ask or maybe to condition it by medicine for our kids or beloved that are injured and they are sick. The members of the families also brought up Spoliaric's message from Gaza. As I saw it, I thought the ICRC is going only on one side. So I'm asking you, if the Hamas don't give you any operation to go to the hospital or to give us a sign of life, don't go inside Gaza. Israel and the abductees' families expect the Red Cross to take a clear position against Hamas. The organisation claims it cannot do this. Public pressure. It's not going to work because the more public pressure we seemingly would do, the more they would shut the door. I'm not sure about that. Yes, they would. A condemnation by the Red Cross, which has such a large platform and so many international connections, can change the narrative in the entire world as soon as it condemns Hamas. And that will change the story here as well for the abductees. About three weeks ago, Israel held its breath when some released abductees made their way from Gaza to the Egyptian Rafah crossing in Red Cross jeeps. That sparked the criticism that this is what the organisation's activity is all about, a shuttle service. You're like a taxi cab. You're an Uber. You should be ashamed of yourself. You call it Uber, you call it taxi, you call it not enough, and I might even agree not enough, but everything we could, we have done it. Maybe we're only a taxi, but we did it. Nobody else did it. After the disappointment of the meeting with the president, the abductees' family's campaign headquarters decided to intensify the fight against the organisation by placing a container to collect medicines and sanitary equipment in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. They intend to pass it on to the Red Cross officers and from there to the Kerem Shalom crossing on the border of the Gaza Strip.

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