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TRUE OR FALSE. Does Hamas use Red Cross ambulances to transport its fighters or weapons?
TRUE OR FALSE. Does Hamas use Red Cross ambulances to transport its fighters or weapons? – (franceinfo)
Accusations from the Israeli government call into question the neutrality of the Red Cross. Would the organization allow Hamas fighters to use its ambulances? Decryption.
For several weeks in Israel, families of hostages have been demanding the release of their loved ones in the hands of Hamas, but also asking that the Red Cross visit them. When it does not come from families, criticism against the humanitarian organization is addressed by the Israeli government. “Hamas has a long strategy which consists of using ambulances to transport its fighters or its weapons. (…) We know thanks to the interrogations of the terrorists arrested on October 7 thatue Hamas uses these ambulances to transport terrorists“, declared Eylon Levy, spokesperson for the Israeli government, on franceinfo.
Accusations against the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are difficult to verify – because access to the Gaza Strip is almost impossible for journalists – but refuted by the organization. “We are not ‘behind the scenes’ in knowing what they are negotiating politically, either with other powers or with their adversaries. We are the neutral intermediary on the humanitarian question. If for reasons X, access is not given, we will not be able to force the door”explains Frédéric Joli, spokesperson for the ICRC.
An accusation from the Israeli government, not independently confirmed
It is impossible to visit the hostages if Hamas does not want to. Humanitarian organizations must take this dependence on local authority into account while setting limits. “With the Ministry of Health in Gaza, even if it is administered by Hamas, we have always had an understanding in the sense that they know the things that we can do. (…) If there is a country where we suffer from pressure from the authorities to do things that go against our values, (…) we leave the country”says Helena Ranchal, director of international operations at Médecins du Monde.
The use of Red Cross ambulances by Hamas fighters would be a serious violation of humanitarian law and would constitute a red line for the organization. But this is an accusation by the Israeli government, which has not yet been independently confirmed.
