Hostage families call on Red Cross, WHO to decry murder of hostage Carmel Gat, who was an occupational therapist

The Hostages Families Forum issues an urgent call for international health organizations to address the murder of Carmel Gat, an occupational therapist whose body was recovered from Gaza last weekend along with five others after they were murdered a day or two before the IDF reached them.

“The Forum calls on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and all health organizations to publicly condemn these heinous acts and take immediate action to protect all hostages and healthcare workers still held captive,” reads the appeal from the Hostages Forum signed by leading Israeli medical and academic figures.

“It is imperative that these organizations advocate for the immediate release of all hostages and address this atrocity with the utmost seriousness, as they would for any violations against healthcare workers in conflict zones.”

The statement pays tribute to Gat, who it says was a “dedicated occupational therapist specializing in mental health.”

“Even in captivity, her compassion never wavered. Carmel remained a beacon of hope and support, continuing to care for others and supporting fellow hostages through daily yoga and meditation,” the Hostages Forum says.

It is believed that 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas during the terror group’s October 7 massacre remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF.

Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 37 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.