ICRC Chief Admits Earlier Pressure Could Have Saved Hostage Lives
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric admitted in a New York Times interview that earlier pressure during negotiations could have saved many lives, addressing the organization's failure to visit Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, addressed the organization's lack of access to Israeli hostages held by Hamas in a recent interview with the New York Times. She admitted that earlier pressure could have saved many lives and criticized the lengthy negotiations.
Spoljaric noted that visiting hostages is a complex task and stated that they should have been released unconditionally on day one. When asked why the ICRC failed to visit the captives despite severe evidence of their conditions, she emphasized the extreme cruelty of hostage-taking.
The goal must always be the return of the hostages. The longer time passes, the more complex the task becomes. I personally believe that pressure should have been applied earlier in the negotiations. We could have saved more lives, many more lives.
Spoljaric revealed that the hostage issue was the focus of her meetings with Hamas leadership, including the late Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She defended the ICRC's strict neutrality, stating that compromising it would destroy the organization's ability to operate in war zones and execute complex missions.
Regarding Palestinian detainees held in Israel, Spoljaric noted that the ICRC had decades of access prior to October 7. She stressed that while governments often block access for security reasons during wartime, the Geneva Conventions impose a legal and moral obligation to grant access.
