Israeli soldiers during the military operation in the Gaza Strip
Mariana Shpoliarich, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, called the Gaza war a “moral failure” of the international community and urged Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement to end the war.
On Tuesday, December 19 (28 Qasr), after the end of his trip to Gaza and Israel, Shapoliarich told journalists in Geneva: “Until now, the international community has not been able to put an end to this level of violence, and it will have an impact on generations. “
Referring to the seven-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross encouraged the two sides to continue negotiations and reach an agreement.
During the seven-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas at the end of November, which was brokered by Qatar, about 110 hostages were released out of 240 hostages held by Hamas.
Israel also released more than 240 Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, from their prisons.
Israeli authorities have said that Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages during the attack on Israel on the 7th of October.
In response to this attack, the Israeli military targeted Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, with intense ground and air attacks, as a result of which, according to Palestinian officials, around 20,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed.
Although the International Committee of the Red Cross facilitated the release of the hostages from Hamas, some groups in Israel have accused the committee of failing to release the hostages.
While rejecting these criticisms, Shapoliarich said that the exchange of hostages will not be as simple as people imagine. He said: “The colleagues risked their lives, safety and security during the operation (exchange of hostages).”
While the search for the release of the remaining hostages from the Hamas group is going on, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said that the committee is ready to facilitate the release of the hostages after the agreement of the conflicting parties.