JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Overnight, Israeli airstrikes killed more than 100 people in Gaza, many of them children. That's according to local health officials. Israeli officials say they targeted over 30 militants, including Hamas commanders, in what they say is a response to the killing of an Israeli soldier. Both parties accuse each other of violating the ceasefire. Navigating these kinds of escalations has been a challenge for the International Committee of the Red Cross, as it has been operating inside Gaza for many years, including in the two years since the Israel-Hamas war began. Joining us now is the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric. Thanks for being here.
MIRJANA SPOLJARIC: Thank you.
SUMMERS: So at this point, all living hostages have been freed from Hamas captivity. And as a part of the ceasefire agreement that we mentioned, Hamas is required to return all of the remains of hostages that are in Gaza. Help us understand. What role is the International Committee of the Red Cross playing in that process?
SPOLJARIC: The International Committee of the Red Cross act as a neutral intermediary. So we bring the bodies back from one party to the other and with the aim to bring them back to the family so that they can find closure and bury their relatives in a dignified way.
SUMMERS: Earlier this week, Hamas retrieved a body that was to be returned to Israel, and ICRC representatives were called out by Hamas to be present, as you say, as a neutral intermediary. And yesterday, you came out with a statement saying that "a deceased person had been placed there prior to their arrival." I'm quoting. And you go on to say that it's unacceptable that a fake recovery was staged. Can you describe what happened there?
SPOLJARIC: We want to be able to bring back the bodies respectfully and in a dignified manner. They have to respect international humanitarian law all along the process. If things happen that are unacceptable, we address it. And if necessary, we say that publicly, as we did yesterday.
SUMMERS: Despite the ceasefire that we've been discussing, the two-year-long war in Gaza has left tens of thousands of people dead - that's according to local health authorities - many hungry, reports of famine. What role is your agency playing in helping the people who are still suffering there to receive food, relief, aid, support?
SPOLJARIC: We have remained in Gaza throughout the whole time. We never left. But most importantly, we act as a neutral presence on the ground that facilitates operations that other parties cannot do, like the release operations concerning the hostages and the detainees, which are highly complex and require very narrow and detailed cooperation with all sides to the conflict and definitely also with the security services of Israel.
SUMMERS: You've talked there about the footprint that you have on the ground. What are some of the biggest challenges that your teams there - you're facing at this stage in Gaza?
SPOLJARIC: The single biggest challenge is the ceasefire. It has to hold. There's no alternative to it. And we count on all states that have influence on the parties to make sure that it holds. And here, the U.S. plays an important role, as you are very well aware. The future of millions of people hangs in the balance of the ceasefire. We cannot risk a collapse again.
SUMMERS: You've spent time there in Gaza. Is there a story or a specific case that you've heard of about the humanitarian situation there that you'd like to share with us today?
SPOLJARIC: The worst for me when I was in Gaza was to see how humans are being deprived the liberty of their dignity, that they are just not treated like human beings anymore. And that, for a humanitarian actor, is the worst to watch. We have to bear in mind that there's never a lawless space. Rules of war always apply no matter how complicated and how difficult it is. When you see children without limbs, you know that something went wrong and that these things should not happen.
SUMMERS: Speaking about the ceasefire there, since it began, has there been an increased flow of food and other aid into Gaza? Have people been able to more readily receive the resources that they need?
SPOLJARIC: Yes, definitely. As soon as a ceasefire starts, you start saving more lives. There's definitely more food. There's more assistance. Gaza - and this is imminent still - is a very acute humanitarian crisis, so we have to bring in food and other material at scale to continue providing what people need for their survival.
SUMMERS: Mirjana Spoljaric is the president of the ICRC, speaking to us about her organization's recent work in Gaza. Thank you so much.
SPOLJARIC: I thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
