Hamas has announced its readiness to coordinate with the Red Cross to deliver aid to hostages it holds in Gaza, if Israel meets certain conditions. The coordination is contingent upon Israel permanently opening humanitarian corridors and halting airstrikes during the distribution of aid. According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with only 20 believed to be alive. Hamas has barred humanitarian organizations from having access to the hostages, and families have little or no details of their conditions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the Red Cross to give humanitarian assistance to the hostages during a conversation with the head of the Swiss-based ICRC’s local delegation. A statement from The Hostages Families Forum, which represents relatives of those being held in Gaza, said Hamas has the obligation to provide them with everything they need. “Until their release,” said the statement, “Hamas has the obligation to provide them with everything they need. Hamas kidnapped them and they must care for them. Every hostage who dies will be on Hamas’s hands.”
In response to a rising international uproar, Israel has announced steps last week to let more aid reach the population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, approving air drops, and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. UN agencies say airdrops are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and open up access to the territory to prevent starvation among its 2.2 million people, most of whom are displaced amidst vast swathes of rubble.
