International Committee of the Red Cross took part on Thursday in a handover ceremony of four killed Israeli hostages, sparking outrage in Israel.
The bodies of Oded Lifshitz, 84, as well as Shiri Bibas, 33, and her two sons, Ariel, 5, and Kfir, 2, were returned under a hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The agreement saw 33 Israeli hostages, both living and dead, released in exchange for hundreds of convicted Palestinian terrorists.
The ceremony was held on a stage decorated with images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu portrayed as a vampire.
Masked Hamas militants stood guard near four coffins, each bearing a label suggesting an “arrest” date of October 7, the day the hostages were taken.
Eitan Fischberger shared an image of Bibas’ coffin on Twitter with the words “Date of arrest, October 7th, 2023.”
Many Israelis were disturbed by what they saw, including Red Cross staff signing documents alongside Hamas fighters without voicing objection.
The Red Cross had also been present at other Hamas-hostage exchanges, which former captives described as terrifying spectacles.
One recently freed hostage said he was once held under the Red Cross offices in Gaza, fearing he would be executed.
Following Thursday’s ceremony, Israel’s bomb squad inspected the coffins over concerns that they might be rigged with explosives.
Hillel Fuld, who tweeted about the search, noted that Hamas also provided keys that did not open the coffins, calling it a “little more psychological torture.”
Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer criticized the Red Cross for failing to visit the hostages during their captivity.
“They have not once visited our hostages while they were alive,” Mencer told journalists.
“It seems to the government of Israel that the Red Cross made no effort to bring medicine to them. In participating in these gruesome ceremonies, they appear partly complicit.”
Mencer also drew comparisons to previous international hostage situations, such as the kidnapping of BBC journalist Alan Johnston in 2007.
Mencer said more should have been done by global institutions to ensure the safe release of the hostages, especially children.
“Not enough pressure has been put on Hamas by international institutions,” said Mencer, calling attention to “the humanitarian outrage of holding our babies in captivity.”
A Twitter/X account named The Mossad: Satirical and Awesome tweeted, “Hamas doesn’t think they’ve been evil enough today. They got the kids to be evil too,” suggesting the group’s tactics involve all segments of the population.
The Red Cross has not yet responded to these criticisms in detail.
However, its participation in the handover ceremony continues to raise questions among international observers and policymakers about the organization’s role in conflicts that involve hostage-taking.
