JERUSALEM, UNDEFINED | An Israeli advocacy group said Thursday it had filed a legal complaint against the Red Cross, accusing the humanitarian organization of inaction and bias over Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
The right-wing Shurat Hadin NGO, which wages legal battles worldwide against what it calls "Israel's enemies", filed a complaint in Jerusalem on behalf of the families of 24 hostages, out of some 250 abducted by Palestinian militants during deadly attacks in early October.
The group criticized the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for allegedly "failing to act to fulfil its mandate and moral duty to visit the kidnapped Israelis held in Gaza, assure their wellbeing and fight for their release".
Contacted by AFP, the ICRC said it had continuously called for the release of the hostages since the Hamas attacks on October 7, with a spokesman adding that "we are pained and frustrated when we do not have access to people who need our help."
According to Shurat Hadin, the ICRC was slow to intervene and did not act firmly to facilitate visits or "try to supply the medicines required to the hostages".
"We cannot accept this disregard and disrespect for human lives, just because the hostages are Jewish," charged Shurat Hadin head, Nitsana Darshan Leitner.
"The ICRC is simply biased and apathetic to Israeli lives," she said in a statement.
ICRC spokesman Jason Straziuso said the organization has "been meeting with Hamas at all levels and undertaking humanitarian diplomacy efforts to gain access to people being held, to be able to visit them, and bring the necessary items, like medicines."
"We continue our efforts to gain access to people still held in Gaza," Straziuso added. "The bulk of this work takes place behind closed doors."
Earlier this week the president of the ICRC insisted on the organization’s neutrality and said criticism was making it increasingly hard to operate in the conflict.
The Swiss-based organization was founded 160 years ago as a neutral intermediary in conflicts and to visit and assist prisoners of war.
The bloodiest ever Gaza war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing around 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
According to Israeli authorities, 129 people are still being held in Gaza.
Israel's retaliatory bombardment and ground invasion has killed at least 20,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the territory's Hamas government.
A truce last month led to the release of 105 hostages -- Israelis as well as some foreigners -- in exchange for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
