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Published on December 15, 2023 10:32 p.m
Video length: 2 min
RIGHT OR WRONG. Does Hamas use Red Cross ambulances to transport its fighters or weapons? RIGHT OR WRONG. Does Hamas use Red Cross ambulances to transport its fighters or weapons? – (France info)
Article written by franceinfo – J. Calderon, H. Pozzo, J. Pain, E. Fromentin
France TV
Allegations from the Israeli government call into question the neutrality of the Red Cross. Would the organization allow Hamas fighters to use its ambulances? Decryption.
For several weeks, families of hostages in Israel have been demanding the release of their loved ones in the hands of Hamas, but also demanding that the Red Cross visit them. If it does not come from families, criticism of the humanitarian organization is addressed by the Israeli government. “Hamas has a long-standing strategy of using ambulances to transport its fighters or weapons. (…) From the interrogations of the terrorists arrested on October 7, we know that Hamas uses these ambulances to transport terrorists,” said Eylon, spokesman for the Israeli newspaper Levy Government, in an interview with Franceinfo.
Allegations against the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are difficult to verify – because access to the Gaza Strip is almost impossible for journalists – but are refuted by the organization. “We are not 'behind the scenes' and know what they are negotiating politically, neither with other powers nor with their opponents. We are the neutral mediator in the humanitarian issue. If access is not granted for reasons
A claim by the Israeli government that has not been independently verified
It is impossible to visit the hostages if Hamas does not want to. Humanitarian organizations must take this dependence on local government into account when setting boundaries. “With the Ministry of Health in Gaza, even though it is run by Hamas, we have always had an agreement in the sense that they know what we can do. (…) If there is a country where we are suffering from the pressure. “If we ask the authorities to do things that go against our values, we leave the country,” says Helena Ranchal, director of international operations at Médecins du Moons.
The use of Red Cross ambulances by Hamas militants would be a serious violation of international humanitarian law and would represent a red line for the organization. However, this is an accusation made by the Israeli government that has not yet been independently confirmed.
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