ICRC director meets with Hamas leader in Qatar, calls for release of hostages

International Committee of the Red Cross president Mirjana Spoljaric met earlier today with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar, her office says in a statement.

“The ICRC has persistently called for the immediate release of hostages. The ICRC is insisting that our teams be allowed to visit the hostages to check on their welfare and deliver medications, and for the hostages to be able to communicate with their families. Agreements must be reached that allow the ICRC to safely carry out this work. The ICRC cannot force its way in to where hostages are held, nor do we know their location,” the statement says.

“The ICRC does not take part in negotiations leading to the release of hostages. As a neutral humanitarian intermediary, we remain ready to facilitate any future release that the parties to the conflict agree to, as ICRC staff have already done on two occasions,” it adds.