By Noor Bakthtiar Ahmad
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed it had successfully facilitated the release of three hostages from Gaza to Israel and 90 Palestinian detainees from Israel to the occupied Palestinian territory on Sunday.
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric, in a statement on Monday, said the organisation was relieved that those released could be reunited with their loved ones.
“Ensuring their safe return and providing the necessary care at this critical moment is a great responsibility. This operation is a powerful example of how our role as a neutral actor between the warring sides can save and change lives, provided that the parties come to an agreement,” she said.
Spoljaric described the operation as complex and requiring strict security measures to ensure the safety of all those involved, adding that the ICRC teams faced significant challenges, including navigating large crowds, managing heightened emotions, and dealing with the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance and damaged infrastructure in Gaza.
“The operation marks the beginning of a multi-phase effort, as agreed by the parties, to bring hostages and detainees home.
“The ICRC, as a neutral humanitarian intermediary, facilitates the safe transfer of hostages and detainees. Specialised ICRC staff, including doctors, are on hand to provide care as needed,” she said.
Spoljaric said more families were waiting anxiously for their loved ones to return home.
“We call on all parties to continue to adhere to their commitments to ensure the next operations can take place safely. Our teams are ready to continue implementing the agreement so that more hostages and detainees are released, and more families reunited,” she said.
As part of the broader agreement, Spoljaric stressed that urgently needed humanitarian assistance must enter Gaza, where civilians have struggled for months to access food, drinkable water, and shelter.
She added that the ICRC was ready to scale up its humanitarian response, in coordination with its Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners.
-- BERNAMA
