Red Cross President Admits Organization Could Have Done More to Save Hostages

Mirjana Spoljarić, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has admitted that the organization failed in its duties following the October 7th attacks, stating in an interview with The New York Times that the ICRC could have exerted more pressure earlier in negotiations to secure the release of hostages. When directly asked if ICRC representatives had been able to visit hostages, Spoljarić shook her head negatively, describing visits to hostages as a far more complex issue than their return. She clarified that Hamas should have unconditionally returned them on the first day of the war, but acknowledged that this was not the reality of their operational constraints.

Spoljarić detailed her meetings during the war with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was in Qatar until his elimination. She emphasized the complexity and cruelty of hostage-taking, stating that the ICRC's goal must always be the swift return of hostages, as prolonged processes become increasingly difficult. "I personally believe there was room to apply pressure earlier in the negotiation process," she confessed, adding, "We could have saved more lives."

She recounted traveling to Qatar twice to meet with Hamas leadership, including Haniyeh, and also meeting personally with Prime Minister Netanyahu, describing these discussions as difficult and necessitating confidentiality. The interview also touched upon Israel's denial of access to security prisoners held in Israeli jails. Spoljarić noted that while the ICRC had decades of access to detainees held by Israel before October 7th, facilitating tens of thousands of family visits, gaining access to prisons during wartime is extremely challenging, with security reasons often cited by parties for denial.

Jerusalem sources have described the ICRC as less problematic than organizations like UNRWA, OCHA, and the UN Human Rights Office during the war, though still subject to criticism on certain issues. Since the October 7th conflict began, the ICRC has been perceived by some as lacking sensitivity and empathy towards Israeli civilians and hostages held by Hamas. However, unlike other organizations, it has not extensively criticized Israel, tending to focus on the Palestinian side and prisoners in Israel, which it considers its traditional role. Israel's refusal to allow the ICRC to visit prisoners and Hamas operatives in the country has reportedly impacted the organization's perceived fulfillment of its mandate.