Full Breakdown
ICRC President Highlights Diplomatic Hurdles to Visiting Gaza Hostages
By Drooid · · How we work
ICRC’s Unfulfilled Attempts to Reach Hostages
Mirjana Spoljaric, who has led the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since 2022, said the organization has repeatedly sought permission to visit Israeli hostages held in Gaza but has never been granted access. Spoljaric described the effort as “much more complicated” than simply returning the captives, noting that the longer negotiations drag on, the harder the humanitarian task becomes.
Behind-the-Scenes Diplomatic Contacts
According to Spoljaric, she met former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar on two separate occasions and also held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the hostage issue. She emphasized that these discussions are “tough” and must remain confidential. While she confirmed that the ICRC does not currently have direct access to the hostages, she argued that earlier pressure in the negotiations could have saved more lives.
Neutrality as the Core of ICRC Operations
Spoljaric asserted that the ICRC’s “strict insistence on neutrality”—maintained for over 160 years—has been essential to any successes in the conflict. The president acknowledged that this stance “makes so many people angry,” but framed it as the “essence of our mission.”
Legal and Moral Obligations Cited for Israel
The ICRC president claimed that Israel holds both a “moral” and a “legal” duty to allow visits to its security detainees, arguing that families deserve information about the whereabouts or fate of their relatives. Spoljaric also warned that dehumanizing rhetoric—encouraging violence against civilians—prevents combatants from ever returning to normal life.
Verbatim Quotes
- “These were tough discussions, and trust me, we are very frank in these meetings,” — Mirjana Spoljaric, president