The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, reportedly declined to pose for a photograph with the families of Israeli hostages during a highly charged meeting in Tel Aviv, as per reports from Hebrew media sources.
Spoljaric has also resisted Israeli calls to publicly pressurize Hamas into allowing Red Cross visits to the hostages. She argues that such efforts may be futile, asserting that the terror group is unlikely to be swayed. Additionally, she contends that taking such measures risks jeopardizing the ICRC’s influence to operate effectively in conflict zones.
The reason behind Spoljaric’s refusal to take a photograph remains unclear, especially since she reportedly had a photograph taken with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on the same day.
In response to the ICRC’s stance, the families of the hostages have outright rejected the organization’s arguments. They accuse the ICRC of failing to fulfill its responsibilities, alleging a lack of effort to facilitate the transfer of medicine to their loved ones. The families further claim that the ICRC is only willing to criticize the Israeli government instead of taking concrete actions to address their concerns.
During the meeting, a father of one of the hostages stood up and insisted that Spoljaric take his son’s inhaler and ensure its delivery. The ICRC president attempted to explain the limitations of her authority in fulfilling the request, but the father refused to accept her explanation. The incident underscores the emotional tension and frustration present during the meeting between the ICRC president and the families of the hostages.
{Matzav.com Israel}
