Red Cross Prepares for Visits to Hamas Terrorists After Court Ruling

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has begun preparations to resume visits with Hamas terrorists held in Israeli detention facilities. An ICRC team conducted an assessment tour and meeting at a military detention facility on Wednesday, marking a preliminary step towards reinstating these visits.

This move follows a High Court of Justice ruling that overturned a directive by the Defense Minister which had prohibited Red Cross visits to the terrorists, citing security concerns and allegations that the organization had passed information to militants. The ICRC stated that the assessment included discussions with detention facility authorities and a tour of parts of the facility. Julian Larsson, head of the ICRC delegation in Israel, described the action as "a step in the right direction towards resuming visits" and indicated the organization would continue discussions on the format and conditions with relevant authorities.

The decision to allow the resumption of visits has ignited significant anger among the families of victims of the October 7th attacks. They view this development as a severe blow and an insult to the memory of their loved ones. Yossi Cohen, whose son Amit was killed on October 7th, expressed his outrage, stating, "They stabbed us in the back and twist the knife every day. These are not judges of Israel, these are judges who represent and embrace the most vile murderers."