This phase began with the safe transfer of four hostages from Gaza to Israeli authorities. Throughout the release process, the ICRC’s primary concern was ensuring the secure transfer of those held hostage. This is a responsibility we take extremely seriously.
The ICRC then facilitated the release and transfer of 128 detainees from Israeli detention centres to Gaza and the West Bank following pre-departure interviews to confirm their identities and assess their health and fitness for travel. At the same time, ICRC teams carried out pre-departure interviews with detainees before a separate release and transfer organised by authorities. In total, 200 detainees were released today. Our activities during these operations are consistent with ICRC’s standard working procedures in places of detention globally.
This work was carried out at the request of all parties involved and in close coordination with them. Our priority is to complete each operation as safely and efficiently as possible, with a focus on protecting those entrusted in our care. ICRC’s ongoing dialogue with the parties has stressed the importance of creating conditions for these operations to take place in a way that is both safe and dignified.
Strict security measures were prepared and taken to minimize the risk to all those involved, recognizing that there are aspects out of ICRC control. The logistics – such as timing, location, and procedures – are determined by the parties themselves. Specialised ICRC staff, including doctors, were on-hand to provide immediate care as needed.
In addition to the release operations, the ICRC is also working with our partners within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to bring more aid into Gaza. This includes food, medical supplies, as well as items to support critical infrastructure like water, wastewater, and power systems.
We continue to call on all parties to continue to adhere to their commitments to ensure the next operations can take place safely. Our teams remain ready to facilitate more release operations to see more families reunited across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory and deliver critical humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
Note to editors: The ICRC will not be providing any footage of released hostages or detainees during these operations. This is out of respect for the dignity of those released and the condition they may be in, as well as issues linked to their safety. We strongly recommend 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 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.
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press@icrc.org
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