The visit is part of efforts to “hold direct discussions with all parties to improve respect for international humanitarian law.”
ByLusa
November 21, 2023 • 09:39
© Fabrice Cofrini/AFP
The Red Cross announced Tuesday that its president had traveled to Qatar to meet with Hamas chief Ismaïl Haniyeh and “discuss humanitarian issues related to the armed conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip.”
“President Mirjana Spoljaric met with Ismaïl Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political commission, and separately with the Qatari authorities,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement.
The visit comes as Qatar, which is brokering negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip, assured on Sunday that there were few “minor” obstacles to an agreement.
According to the CICR, Spoljaric’s visit is part of efforts to “hold direct discussions with all parties to improve respect for international humanitarian law.”
The text also highlighted that the president had met “several times in recent weeks with family members of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, as well as with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.”
The Israeli military estimates that about 240 people are being held hostage in the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attack on Israeli territory on October 7.
According to a report by Israeli leaders, this attack resulted in around 1,200 Israeli deaths, mostly civilians.
In retaliation, Israel has been bombing Gaza continuously and has been conducting a ground operation since October 27 to “crush” the Islamist movement.
According to Hamas, more than 13,300 people were killed in these Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, including more than 5,600 children.