Media Contact:
Lilly Freemyer
hadassah@rational360.com
202-669-0998
NEW YORK, NY — Today, Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America, sent a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) denouncing its unconscionable failure to demand assurances about and access to the hostages Hamas kidnapped and has abused and illegally held for over 60 days, and demanding the ICRC immediately visit the hostages to assess their condition.
“It is appalling that the ICRC has left those kidnapped by Hamas to languish without the care and intervention the Red Cross affords all other detainees around the world,” said Hadassah National President Rhoda Smolow. “From one humanitarian organization to another, we implore the ICRC to take action to demand an end to the physical, sexual and emotional abuse of the hostages, transfer much-needed medication and food to them, and put them in contact with their families.
This letter comes as Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the ICRC, is visiting Israel for a series of meetings with the President, the Prime Minister and other officials.
“We welcome President Egger’s visit to Israel, but the visit will be meaningless if the ICRC does not visit and assess the welfare of the 150 hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas and continue to be held illegally in Gaza, with clear evidence of abuse and sexual violence,” said Hadassah CEO Naomi Adler.
The International Committee of the Red Cross states its mandate and mission clearly as “an independent, neutral organization ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence.” The organization’s goals state that it “aims to secure humane treatment and conditions of detention for all detainees, regardless of the reasons for their arrest and detention” and seeks “to alleviate the suffering of their families, particularly by restoring communication between detainees and their relatives.”
Yet, the ICRC has blatantly ignored the hostages abducted from Israel into Gaza, calling into question its integrity.
Through what is today the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem, Hadassah laid the groundwork for Israel’s healthcare system and today supports two world renowned hospitals. They serve as a beacon of hope for the region, with healthcare professionals who are Muslim, Jewish and Christian, Israeli and Palestinian, working alongside one another to provide care for patients of all races, religions and nationalities.
You can read Hadassah’s letter here.