The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has taken a critical turn as Hamas has expressed willingness to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to deliver food and medicine to Israeli captives held in Gaza. This development comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested the ICRC’s intervention to provide aid to the captives.
According to Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, the group is “ready to act positively and respond to any request from the Red Cross to deliver food and medicine to enemy prisoners”. However, Abu Obeida emphasized that humanitarian corridors must be opened permanently to allow the passage of food and medicine to all areas of the Gaza Strip. Additionally, Israel must cease all aerial operations during the aid delivery process.
Netanyahu had requested the ICRC’s “immediate involvement” in providing food and medical treatment to captives still held in Gaza. In a post on X, Netanyahu wrote that Hamas was propagating a “lie of starvation” in the enclave, but the reality was that “systematic starvation is being carried out against our hostages”.
The ICRC has expressed its concern over the condition of the captives, stating that it is “appalled by the harrowing videos” of the captives held in Gaza. The organization has reiterated its call to be “granted access to the hostages” and emphasized that securing access requires cooperation from all parties involved.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, with 1 million women and girls facing starvation, according to the United Nations office in Geneva. The Government Media Office in Gaza reported that Israeli authorities allowed only 36 aid trucks to enter the Gaza Strip on Saturday, while 22,000 aid trucks remain outside the Strip, waiting to bring much-needed food to Palestinians.
At least 175 people, including 93 children, have died from forced starvation in Gaza, with 17-year-old Atef Abu Khater being one of the latest victims. His weight had dropped to just 25kg (55lbs) before he died on Saturday. The families of Israeli captives held in Gaza have also expressed concern over the safety of their loved ones, stating that Netanyahu’s continued insistence on a “military resolution” is “a direct danger to the lives of our sons, who live in the hell of tunnels and are threatened by starvation and immediate death”.