The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that it assisted in a critical operation to "allow families to lay their loved ones to rest" on Thursday, following Hamas's handover of the slain hostages.
The ICRC has been widely criticized across Israel for not visiting hostages in Gaza captivity and for partaking in Hamas's propaganda hostage release ceremonies. ICRC members did partake in the Thursday morning Hamas propaganda ceremony, which showcased the coffins of the slain hostages Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, as well as Oded Lifshitz, on a stage built east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Channel 12 had earlier reported that the Red Cross initially refused to take part in Hamas's ceremony. However, after the terror group reportedly threatened not to transfer the slain hostages, an ICRC representative allegedly signed the Hamas documents on a stage.
Hamas terrorists then handed over the coffins of the slain hostages to ICRC vehicles.
"Our role today was to fulfill a vital humanitarian mission to ensure that families can mourn with dignity. They have the right to grieve and honor those they lost with a proper burial," the ICRC said in its statement.
"Such operations should be conducted privately, with respect for both the deceased and the bereaved. We have made it unequivocally clear: every release—whether of living hostages or those who are no longer with us—must be carried out with dignity and privacy," the statement added.
"The ICRC remains committed to the role entrusted to us under the ceasefire agreement," it concluded.
Red Cross's earlier statements
Before the handover of the hostages, the ICRC said, "The release of hostages, whether alive or deceased, must be conducted with dignity and privacy."
"Families have the right to mourn with dignity. Our role is to fulfill a critical humanitarian mission, and such operations should take place privately, with respect for both the deceased and the bereaved," the ICRC added.