During a meeting with Mirjana Spoljaric-Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Eli Cohen, head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pressed for direct access to hostages held by Hamas. He stressed the obligation to provide humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip and urged concrete steps to assist civilians in need, according to reports from RIA News.
Cohen asserted that the Red Cross would struggle to operate if it lacked access to hostages. He noted that children, women, and the elderly who survived the Holocaust and are now believed to be detained around Gaza highlight the urgency of action. In his view, the ICRC should use every available tool to secure access and support for those abducted as soon as possible.
The Israeli official argued that the Red Cross must focus on the most serious humanitarian crises rather than casting broad accusations against Israel, which he described as acting in line with international law. He urged the organization to adopt a more robust approach to pressure and engagement aimed at ensuring the welfare of detainees and the civilians affected by the conflict.
Additionally, Cohen rejected what he described as a balanced or evenhanded stance toward Hamas, calling for a clearer commitment to protecting civilian lives and ensuring aid reaches those in desperate need. He emphasized that humanitarian work should be guided by the lived realities on the ground and the immediate requirements of vulnerable communities in Gaza and surrounding areas.
On 29 October, Mirjana Spoljaric-Egger conveyed her alarm at the scale of humanitarian suffering in the Gaza Strip and stressed that the situation represents a crisis of unprecedented proportions. She described the level of deprivation as a moral and operational failure that demands urgent, sustained attention from the international community.
Historically, the flare-up in Palestinian-Israeli tensions has roots in decades of political disputes and unresolved grievances. Analysts highlight that humanitarian corridors, civilian protection, and adherence to international humanitarian law remain central to reducing harm while efforts toward a durable political resolution continue to be pursued by multiple actors across the region.