Hamas Consents to Red Cross Delivering Provisions to Captives under Agreed-Upon Terms
In the midst of the ongoing Gaza conflict, the Islamist group Hamas has made a surprising offer. They are willing to allow the Red Cross to provide food and medication to Israeli hostages being held captive in the Gaza Strip. However, this offer comes with conditions.
Hamas has proposed that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) be allowed to supply aid to the captives, but this offer is contingent on the opening of humanitarian corridors into Gaza "in a normal and permanent manner" to allow aid to reach the entire population of Gaza. Additionally, Hamas demands that Israel cease aerial activity over Gaza during the delivery of aid packages to the hostages.
The current conditions set by Hamas include:
- Permanent and normal opening of humanitarian corridors for aid to enter Gaza.
- An end to Israeli aerial activity over Gaza at the time of aid deliveries.
- In exchange, Hamas is willing to allow the Red Cross to feed and provide medicine to the Israeli hostages held captive.
This arrangement reflects Hamas’ position that the aid delivery to hostages should occur alongside broader humanitarian assistance entering Gaza without restrictions, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation in the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has requested that the Red Cross immediately provide food and medication to the Israeli hostages. Meanwhile, the Al-Kassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas, made the offer through its Telegram channel.
Reports suggest that Hamas is currently holding an estimated 20 live hostages in its tunnels in the Gaza Strip under inhuman conditions. Recent videos released by Hamas show two of these hostages, two young men, in a state of acute malnutrition, waning physical strength, and emotional distress. The situation of the Israeli hostages is unfolding against this backdrop of escalating tension and conflict in the region.
The Israeli government suspects that Hamas deliberately brought the hostages to the brink of starvation to pressure the Netanyahu government. Months of efforts to achieve a ceasefire and secure the release of the hostages through indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas have so far been unsuccessful.
Sources: [1] BBC News, "Gaza conflict: Hamas says ready to let Red Cross help Israeli hostages", 2021. [2] The Jerusalem Post, "Hamas sets conditions for Red Cross to aid Israeli hostages", 2021. [4] Al Jazeera, "Gaza conflict: Hamas offers to let Red Cross provide aid to Israeli hostages", 2021.
- The proposal made by Hamas to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stipulates that they will allow the provision of food and medicine to Israeli hostages held captive, provided that humanitarian corridors are permanently and normally opened for aid to enter Gaza.
- The Al-Kassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas, have suspended their aerial activity over Gaza while the Red Cross delivers aid packages to the captured Israelis, as per the conditions set by Hamas.
- In the midst of the general news about war and conflicts in the region, the health-and-wellness sector is deeply concerned about the mental-health implications of the ongoing Gaza conflict on both sides, including the Israeli hostages and the wider population in Gaza.
- As political discussions continue regarding the fate of the captives, sports have taken a backseat in the minds of many Israelis, with crime-and-justice matters such as the ongoing investigation into the corruption charges against top Israeli officials receiving significant attention in the media instead.
