Red Cross president admits: We could have exerted pressure earlier, saved lives

The president of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, admitted in an interview with the New York Times that the organization could have exerted pressure earlier in the negotiations for the return of Israeli hostages, thereby saving lives. She said that visiting hostages is more complex than returning them, and noted that she met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Ismail Haniyeh.

The president of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, admitted in an interview with the New York Times published today (Saturday) that the organization could have exerted pressure earlier in the negotiations for the return of Israeli hostages, thereby saving lives. In the interview, she was asked if Red Cross representatives could have visited hostages, and she shook her head in the negative. According to her, 'Visiting hostages is a much more complex matter than returning them.' She clarified that Hamas should have returned them unconditionally on the first day of the war, but 'that is not the reality in which we operate.' Spoljaric spoke about meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar, describing them as difficult discussions that must remain confidential. She noted that as the process lengthens, it becomes more complex. In the interview, she was also asked about the organization's approach to security prisoners in Israeli prisons, and said that before October 7, the organization had access for decades, but during wartime, gaining access is a challenging task. The article notes that the Red Cross is perceived as having acted insensitively toward the Israeli hostages, but unlike other organizations, it did not criticize Israel and emphasized the Palestinian side.