The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is facing severe criticism from Republican lawmakers and officials for its perceived inaction in advocating for the remaining Israeli hostages.
This comes after disturbing videos surfaced, showing two of the captives, Rom Braslavski, 21, and Evyatar David, 24, in a state of extreme malnourishment and near-nudity.
In response to the release of these videos by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an urgent phone call with ICRC head Julien Lerisson on Sunday. Netanyahu described the footage as "shocking images reminiscent of Nazi crimes" and implored the Red Cross to assist the 49 remaining hostages.
These individuals have been left to suffer in captivity, with the international aid organization seemingly doing little to secure them food and medical care.
According to The Washington Free Beacon, U.S. officials echo this sentiment of outrage. They recall the hostage release ceremonies earlier this year, where Hamas publicly displayed the emaciated Israeli captives to a jeering Gazan crowd.
The Red Cross, which prides itself on neutrality, was seen on stage with Hamas terrorists, shaking hands and signing documents. For many of the captives, this was their first interaction with Red Cross staff after years of confinement, despite the organization's fundamental mission to support hostages and prisoners of war.
A high-ranking official from the Trump administration expressed their horror at the recent images, placing the blame squarely on the Red Cross for allowing the hostages to endure such inhumane conditions. The official criticized the global aid group, which positions itself as the leading provider of emergency services worldwide, including in active war zones like Gaza. They pointed out the organization's notable failure to fulfill its mandate of visiting those in Hamas captivity to assess their health.
"The ICRC is abandoning the very people it was established to protect," the official stated. "Almost two years since Oct. 7, it still hasnt delivered humanitarian aid and medical care to the hostages in Gaza. Its shameful that the Red Cross is still standing on the war's sidelines while civilians are starved and tortured in captivity."
The official further criticized the Red Cross for its refusal to aid the hostages while participating in Hamas's propaganda ceremonies, stating, "That tells you everything you need to know about whose side they're on."
Senator Ted Budd (R., N.C.), who has previously advocated for a reassessment of American aid to the Red Cross due to its association with Hamas, expressed his disappointment in the humanitarian organization's continued failure to fulfill its mission.
"While Israel is somehow blamed, the United Nations and the International Red Cross have utterly failed to distribute food to Gazans and ensure food and medicine reach hostages," Budd told the Free Beacon. "The video released by Hamas over the weekend is horrific and illuminates an alarming lack of moral clarity by those nations condemning Israel while offering recognition of Palestine."
Hamass armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, stated that it would only consider allowing the Red Cross to access the hostages "if humanitarian corridors were opened into Gaza on a regular and permanent basis, and air strikes halted during the time of receiving aid," as reported by the BBC.
Despite the Red Cross's promise of a renewed effort to visit the hostages following the release of the recent videos, many within Israel have lost faith in the aid groups capabilities.
A former senior Israeli defense official expressed his disappointment, stating, "Once again, when it comes to Jews being kidnapped, raped, starved, and murdered, the Red Cross is simply MIA. What a disgrace. For 666 days theyve sat on the sidelines while Israeli civilians have been held in Holocaust-like conditions. Either they dont learn, or dont care."
Arsen Ostrovsky, CEO of the International Legal Forum, which recently led a campaign to hold the ICRC accountable for its inaction since Oct. 7, suggested that the aid groups failures stem from a deep-seated bias.
"The Red Cross has shamed itself beyond repair," he said. "Since Oct. 7, they have utterly abandoned the hostages, failing to see even a single one in captivity as they are starved, tortured, and now forced to even dig their own graves. This is not neutrality. It is complicity."
As the Red Crosss "single largest donor," Ostrovsky suggested that "the United States should reassess any further funding and enable legislation to allow victims of Hamass terror to sue the ICRC over their complicity."
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an Israeli advocacy group, released a statement on Sunday, stating that their captive "loved ones have been denied medical care, food, and all communication with us for over 660 days."
"The shocking reality is that the Red Cross has never had access to these hostages during this entire horrific period," the organization noted. "The international community must demand the immediate release of all 50 hostages and ensure that until their return home, they receive the medical care they desperately need."
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