Photo Credit: Kobi Gideon / GPO
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ICRC President Peter Maurer in Jerusalem, Sept. 6 2017

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Peter Maurer during their meeting in Jerusalem on Wednesday (Sept. 6) that Hamas is displaying “unbelievable cruelty” in its dealings with Israeli families.” The issue came up during a discussion between the two men about the issue of the soldiers and civilians being held in Gaza.

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The prime minister told the ICRC president that “Israel has seen a very decent and very open relationship between the Red Cross and Israel that is very valuable for the Red Cross, for Israel and for peace.”

He added that “the ICRC president has come at a time when Israel is concerned about the unbelievable cruelty of Hamas holding the bodies of Israel’s slain soldiers, and even information about them — and no less important, innocent, defenseless civilians who are also being held in Gaza.”

Netanyahu noted that Maurer sought to visit the hostages and pointed out that Israel has sought information about them, only to be rebuffed. The prime minister expressed his appreciation for all of the ICRC president’s help and assistance in this humanitarian effort “in the face of Hamas’s cruelty.”

Maurer replied that the Red Cross has been in the region for a long time and that this was one of its longest-running operations. He added that whereas the Red Cross has a mandate under international law, it also had a mandate to help people and find practical ways [to this end]. He noted that he was looking forward to “once again to having the opportunity to look into some of the challenges that everyone is currently confronted with, and to see how the ICRC can eventually help with them.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that he was sure that the ICRC could, both in retrieving the bodies of Israel’s fallen soldiers and in bringing back to Israel the defenseless, helpless civilians who are being held by Hamas in contravention of all international norms and the ideals for which the Red Cross was established.

Maurer is also scheduled to meet with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

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Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for Babble.com, Chabad.org and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.