ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric confirmed she held confidential meetings with Hamas leadership and Israeli officials to advocate for hostage access and release.
Key facts
- •ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric met twice with former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar to seek access to hostages.
- •Spoljaric stated that the ICRC has not been granted access to any of the hostages held in Gaza.
- •The ICRC president argued that earlier pressure in negotiations could have saved more lives.
- •Mothers of five named hostages met with Spoljaric in Geneva in August 2025 to advocate for their children.
- •Eight hostages released in December 2025 wrote to the ICRC requesting visits for the 137 hostages remaining at that time.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Mirjana Spoljaric stated she met with former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh twice in Qatar to attempt to arrange visits to Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Spoljaric, who has led the organization since 2022, also held discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the hostage crisis.
Confidential Negotiations and Challenges
In an interview with the New York Times, Spoljaric described the meetings as difficult and emphasized that they must remain confidential to be effective. When asked if the ICRC had gained access to the hostages, she indicated that the organization had not. She characterized the task of visiting hostages as significantly more complex than securing their release, noting that the ICRC must operate within the constraints of its available tools and strict neutrality.
Advocacy for Earlier Intervention
Spoljaric expressed the view that the hostages should have been returned unconditionally from the beginning of the conflict. She stated that more lives could have been saved if there had been earlier pressure during the negotiations. The ICRC president also noted that she has visited Gaza multiple times during the war and highlighted the risks faced by ICRC staff, who have operated unarmed in conflict zones.
Previous Appeals for ICRC Involvement
The ICRC has faced repeated calls to intervene on behalf of hostages. In August 2025, the mothers of hostages Evyatar David, Nimrod Cohen, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, and David and Ariel Cunio met with Spoljaric in Geneva to urge the organization to visit their relatives. Additionally, eight hostages released during a December 2025 temporary ceasefire sent a letter to the ICRC requesting visits for the remaining 137 hostages, though no such visits were conducted.
Timeline
- 2022Mirjana Spoljaric began her tenure as president of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
- August 2025Mothers of five hostages met with Spoljaric in Geneva to push for ICRC visits to Gaza.
- December 2025Eight released hostages wrote a letter to the ICRC requesting visits for the 137 remaining hostages.
- July 27, 2026ICRC vehicles arrived with released Palestinian detainees at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Jerusalem Post, Haaretz.
