The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has reportedly begun dialogue with Hamas about providing food and medicine to Israeli hostages — a staggering 670 days after their abduction and only following intense public outrage over recently released videos showing their deteriorating condition.

The breakthrough comes on the heels of pressure from both Israeli leadership and anguished hostage families, particularly after footage emerged of hostage Eviatar David, visibly emaciated and digging what appeared to be his own grave in a Hamas tunnel. The footage showed David being handed a paltry meal by a well-fed captor.

For nearly two years, the Red Cross has failed to secure even a single visit to the hostages or provide them with the most basic medical assistance. But in a rare deviation from its longstanding policy of neutrality, the ICRC issued a public condemnation of the Hamas videos, calling them “horrifying” and acknowledging the “life-threatening” conditions the hostages are enduring.

“The hostages should be given humane treatment and proper conditions,” the ICRC said in a statement. “They urgently need the medical care they require.”

According to Israeli officials, the change in tone was catalyzed by personal conversations held by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Yitzchak Herzog with senior Red Cross leadership, prompted by direct appeals from the family of Eviatar David.

The Red Cross has now informed Israeli authorities that it is actively working to convince Hamas to allow the delivery of aid to the captives. Hamas, in turn, said it would only agree to such measures if Israel permits increased humanitarian aid into Gaza — a condition Israel appears to have met. Over the past two weeks, Israel has dramatically shifted its stance and opened the flow of humanitarian aid, delivering 30,000 tons last week alone via trucks and airdrops.

The ICRC also signaled its readiness to ramp up life-saving aid efforts in Gaza and reiterated its call for “a rapid and unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance” to civilians facing worsening shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. It further said it is willing to visit Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons — a point of contention often raised by Hamas.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)