Hamas has signaled willingness to permit the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to deliver food and medicine to Israeli hostages, following global outcry over a video showing a severely malnourished captive. The militant group outlined conditions for the aid access, including demands for Israel to ensure unrestricted humanitarian supplies to Gaza’s civilians and halt aerial surveillance during delivery. The announcement, made Sunday via Telegram by a spokesperson for Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, marks a rare opening in strained negotiations over the fate of the captives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded swiftly, confirming he urged the ICRC’s regional delegation head, Julien Lerisson, to act immediately on securing medical and nutritional support for the hostages. The communication follows weeks of mounting pressure after Hamas released videos depicting two hostages suffering from extreme weight loss, physical frailty, and psychological distress. The footage, which circulated widely over the weekend, drew condemnation from world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German political figures.
The 20 remaining captives, seized during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel, are reportedly held in underground tunnels under conditions described as inhumane. Israeli authorities accuse the group of intentionally depriving hostages of basic necessities to pressure the government during ceasefire talks. While Hamas has not commented on these allegations, its latest offer ties humanitarian relief for hostages to broader demands for Gaza’s civilian population, where aid groups warn of catastrophic shortages amid Israel’s ongoing military operations.
The proposed deal stipulates that Israel must allow “comprehensive and permanent” aid convoys into Gaza and suspend aerial reconnaissance during delivery windows. Analysts note the complexity of the demand, given Israel’s reliance on surveillance to track militant activity. Meanwhile, the ICRC has yet to publicly confirm whether it will facilitate the proposed arrangement, reiterating its call for unconditional access to all detainees in the conflict.
International responses to the hostage videos have amplified calls for a breakthrough. Macron described the images as “intolerable,” while others highlighted the urgency of addressing what the United Nations terms a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza. The crisis underscores the entangled humanitarian and political stakes of the conflict, now in its ninth month, with no clear path to resolving the hostage situation or alleviating civilian suffering on both sides.
