Both Israel and Hamas deny the International Committee of the Red Cross from visiting prisoners, the organization’s regional director for the Near and Middle East told London-based Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday.
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In an interview, Fabrizio Carboni said that Israel had been denying family visitations to prisons via the Red Cross since October 7. He emphasized the importance of such visits, both personal and by family members, for security prisoners in Israeli jails. Carboni also expressed disappointment over Hamas' refusal to permit visits to hostages they are holding, calling the situation “unacceptable” on both sides.
Carboni said he hoped that the Red Cross can reach "those people" as soon as possible. The senior Red Cross official added that the international humanitarian organization was not involved in ongoing negotiations for a prisoner exchange deal, but rather only in humanitarian aspects and only after an agreement is reached.
In the previous deal in November, the Red Cross facilitated safe transport for over a hundred Israeli and foreign individuals released from Hamas captivity.
However, the organization faced criticism and skepticism regarding its apparent lack of involvement or concern for the hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
Carboni said that the Red Cross was committed to enforcing agreements between conflicting parties, noting their readiness for future actions based on past precedents. He expressed concern about the current lack of information and hoped for a prompt agreement between the sides.
Carboni’s comments come against the backdrop of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s refusal last week to allow the Israel Prison Service to divulge details about terrorists captured in Gaza and subsequently detained in Israel, going against opinions from security agencies and the State Attorney's Office.
In response, Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara said that the decision exceeds the minister's authority and is a matter for the political-security echelon.