Netanyahu Urges International Red Cross Action for Hostages Held by Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to take urgent action to support Israeli hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas. During a conversation with Julien Larison, head of the ICRC delegation in the region, Netanyahu made a direct appeal for the immediate delivery of food and medical assistance to the captives.

Netanyahu described the hostages’ situation as inhumane, accusing Hamas of carrying out systematic starvation and brutal abuse of men and women in their custody. He dismissed global narratives that claim Gaza is suffering from Israeli-imposed starvation, asserting that the real starvation is being inflicted on the Israeli hostages—a form of cruelty he likened to the atrocities committed by the Nazis.

“The world must not turn a blind eye,” Netanyahu said, referring to recent images of the hostages that he described as “shocking” and clear violations of international human rights. He emphasized that the physical and psychological torture endured by those kidnapped cannot be tolerated or ignored by the global community.

The Prime Minister also issued a strong call for global condemnation of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, both of which he labeled terrorist organizations. He urged countries to halt any form of support—direct or indirect—to these groups, stating that their actions represent clear breaches of international law and the Geneva Conventions.

Netanyahu’s message was unequivocal: international silence or neutrality in the face of these crimes is unacceptable. He demanded that humanitarian organizations and world governments take decisive steps to pressure Hamas into allowing humanitarian access and complying with the basic standards of international humanitarian law. The lives and dignity of the hostages, he asserted, depend on it.