ICRC president: Ceasefire agreement offers chance to save lives, reunite families

Geneva (ICRC) – The ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas must mark a turning point in two years of unimaginable horror. It offers a vital chance to save lives and ease suffering. 

ICRC teams in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank will support its implementation by helping to return hostages and detainees to their families. We are also ready to help return human remains so families can mourn their loved ones with dignity. Our teams are prepared to bring more lifesaving aid into the Gaza Strip and distribute it safely to those most in need.

The coming days are critical. I urge the parties to hold to their commitments. Release operations must be carried out safely and with dignity. Humanitarian assistance must resume urgently at full capacity and be delivered to people safely wherever they are. The ceasefire must hold. Lives depend on it.

About the ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.