Red Cross 'concerned' about hostages ahead of next Israel-Hamas swap

by Marc Jourdier

The Red Cross expressed concern Friday for the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, with Hamas expected to free three captives this weekend after a crisis over the ceasefire threatened to plunge the territory back into war.

Israel warned Thursday that Hamas must release three living hostages this weekend or face a resumption of the war in Gaza, after the Palestinian militant group said it would pause releases over what it described as Israeli violations of the truce deal.

The January 19 ceasefire, which has largely halted 15 months of fighting in Gaza, has been under massive strain since US President Donald Trump proposed a US takeover of the territory.

The releases of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, as agreed under the terms of the truce, have brought much-needed relief to families on both sides of the war, the emaciated state of the Israeli captives freed last week sparked anger in Israel and beyond.

"The latest release operations reinforce the urgent need for ICRC access to those held hostage," the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has facilitated the exchanges, said in a statement Friday.

"We remain very concerned about the conditions of the hostages."

Following Hamas's handover ceremony, during which the captives were forced to speak, the ICRC appealed for a more private handover this time round.

It reiterated its call on Friday for a "dignified and safe" transfer, and vowed to "continue our efforts to see all hostages released, until the last hostage is returned".

After earlier saying it would pause its hostage releases, Hamas said that it was committed to the ceasefire and to carrying out the next exchange "according to the specified timetable".

"We are keen to implement it (the ceasefire) and oblige the occupation to fully abide by it," Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou said.

Israel had insisted Hamas release "three live hostages" on Saturday.

"If those three are not released, if Hamas does not return our hostages, by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end," said government spokesman David Mencer.

Hamas had previously accused Israel of holding up the delivery of heavy machinery needed to clear war debris, and bulldozers were seen lining up at Egypt's Rafah border crossing with Gaza waiting to enter.

Israel, however, said Friday that the equipment would not be allowed in through Rafah.

- 'Power games' -

Trump, whose proposal to take over Gaza and move its 2.4 million residents to Egypt or Jordan sparked global outcry, warned this week that "hell" would break loose if Hamas failed to release "all" remaining hostages by noon on Saturday.

If fighting resumes, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said it would not just lead to the "defeat of Hamas and the release of all the hostages", but also "allow the realization of US President Trump's vision for Gaza".

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was due in Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to discuss the ceasefire after attending the Munich Security Conference, where he will hold talks on Ukraine.

Katz last week ordered the Israeli army to prepare for "voluntary" departures from Gaza, and the military said it had already begun reinforcing its troops around the territory.

Mairav Zonszein of the International Crisis Group said despite their public disputes Israel and Hamas were still interested in maintaining the truce and have not "given up on anything yet".

"They're just playing power games," she said.

In Israel, dozens of relatives of hostages held in Gaza blocked a highway near Tel Aviv, waving banners and demanding the terms of the ceasefire be respected, an AFP journalist said.

- 'God almighty?' -

Arab countries have put on a rare show of unity in their rejection of Trump's proposal for Gaza, while Palestinians in the territory have also voiced opposition to the plan.

For Palestinians, any forced displacement evokes memories of the "Nakba", or catastrophe -- the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel's creation in 1948.

"Who is Trump? Is he God almighty? The land of Jordan is for Jordanians, and the land of Egypt belongs to Egyptians," said Gaza City resident Abu Mohamed al-Husari.

"We are here, deeply rooted in Gaza -- the resilient, besieged and unbreakable Gaza."

Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,211 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.

Militants also took 251 hostages, of whom 73 remain in Gaza, including at least 35 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 48,239 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory that the UN considers reliable.

© Agence France-Presse