The Red Cross helps in the release of hostages from the Gaza Strip

According to the initial arrangements, Hamas is to release at least 10 people daily — for four days. Humanitarian organizations, including the Red Cross, will ensure safe transportation for those released to the border crossing with Egypt. There, under the supervision of mediators, their identity will be confirmed by the Israeli side. Only then will the freed hostages be transported to hospitals by helicopters. The agreement also states that the International Committee of the Red Cross will be able to visit the hostages remaining in Gaza, deliver and administer medications.

It is the International Committee of the Red Cross based in Geneva and National Societies, including the Polish Red Cross, that are collecting inquiries from families of the missing, trying to clarify the fate of their loved ones. Families living in areas affected by armed conflict can contact the International Committee of the Red Cross at the phone number: 03 524 5286. They can also use a special mechanism introduced by the Command of the Internal Front of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) along with the Israeli police, namely the Missing Persons Reporting Center. They can contact the Center by calling the following phone numbers: from Israel, *6754 or 077 7703172, or from abroad: +972 77 7703172.

Families in Poland can also contact the nearest office of the Polish Red Cross to apply for the location of relatives. Families in other countries can turn to the nearest National Society of the Red Cross/Red Crescent or the ICRC office near their place of residence. A list of relevant national associations and ICRC offices can be found on the committee's official website:

https://www.icrc.org. Current information about humanitarian activities in the conflict zone is also published there.
The humanitarian situation in the conflict region is dramatic. The toughest conditions prevail in the city of Gaza. Many hospitals are non-operational, while ambulances are facing serious difficulties transporting the injured due to ongoing military actions. Medical rescuers from the Palestinian Red Crescent evacuated 28 premature infants from Al-Shifa hospital to the border crossing in Rafah, from where the children were taken to Egyptian hospitals. The actions alongside the ICRC were coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Through the same crossing in Rafah, aid from the Egyptian Red Crescent came in: 70 trucks carrying food, water, medical equipment, medicines, and hygiene products. So far, humanitarian assistance has reached Gaza from 33 countries, totaling over 1168 trucks and 155 planes. The needs of the residents remain immense.

The Polish Red Cross is supporting the victims of the conflict between Israel and Hamas through a nationwide fundraising campaign, announced under the slogan: “Middle East.”

Donate to the account with the note “Middle East”:

53 1160 2202 0000 0005 8915 5831
or via BLIK: 794 33 22 11794 33 22 11