ICRC President Says Earlier Pressure Could Have Saved More Hostages’ Lives

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said in an interview released Saturday that earlier pressure in hostage negotiations could have saved more lives. Asked whether her organization's representatives had access to Israeli hostages held by Hamas, she indicated they had not. She said the hostages should have been released unconditionally on the first day and described securing visits as more complicated than bringing them home. She said prolonged captivity makes release negotiations harder. Spoljaric also described two trips to Qatar to meet Hamas leaders and a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while emphasizing the confidentiality of those discussions.