Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently met with Hamas head Khaled Mashaal in Damascus about kidnapped soldier Gilad Schalit, Channel 10 reported on Monday.
The ICRC representatives attempted to persuade Mashaal to send a new sign of life from Schalit before the Passover holiday next week, according to the report. The last sign of life to be released by Hamas came in a video clip in September 2009.
Unlike previous requests, Mashaal did not reject the request and promised to examine the matter.
The ICRC visit was apparently prompted by the persistent pressure exerted on it by the Schalit family in the five years since Gilad's capture, ramped up recently.
Unlike in the past, where the Schalits and activists working for Gilad's release had refrained from criticizing the Red Cross, activists recently made a demand on the humanitarian organization. The activists demanded that the ICRC in Israel stop visiting Hamas prisoners in Israeli prisons until the Schalit family receives a sign of life from Gaza.
In World War II the Red Cross could have possibly been invited to assist in aiding Concentration Camp victims but would have been required to tell no one about the Concentration Camps. Wow. (this is only partially hypothetical because I believe they did work with Nazis in some situations)
via brucemctague.com
via brucemctague.com
