Islamic Jihad intimidates ICRC in Gaza to support escaped prisoners

The International Committee of the Red Cross has been the focus of protests in Gaza in support of the six prisoners who escaped from Gilboa Prison this week.

On Thursday, the ICRC in Gaza issued a statement on its responsibilities vis a vis Palestinian prisoners:

The ICRC works on the basis of confidential dialogue with authorities. That's why we have full access to detainees. Having access to all places of detention, being able to meet detainees, and using our confidential dialogue to advocate for their interests is our priority. 

Our visits to places of detention aim at assessing the treatment of detainees and their conditions of detention with the ultimate objective of ensuring humane treatment and acceptable conditions of detention. 

Following the events of this week, we continue our detention activities and visits in Israeli prisons. Our teams will continue to monitor the situation in terms of the treatment of detainees and their conditions of detention. 

It is however the responsibility of the detaining authorities to ensure calm while dignity and humane treatment of the detainees are preserved. 

Should detainees be transferred in the future, we will continue monitoring their treatment and conditions and engage the authorities in our bilateral dialogue if needed. We ensure families of detainees moved are informed so they can stay in touch with their loved ones. 

That isn't enough for those who want to see all terrorists free to attack Jews with impunity.

Today, Islamic Jihad placed dozens of armed terrorists outside the headquarters of the ICRC in Gaza, and organized a demonstration beyond that, in an attempt to intimidate the organization to go beyond its normal areas of responsibility and to openly support the escaped terrorists.

Dozens of Al-Baha Force members of the Al-Quds Brigades, the military arm of the Islamic Jihad, were present at noon in front of the Red Cross headquarters in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Baha forces carried all their military equipment in a strong message to the international community and to the Red Cross to take urgent action to save the lives of the prisoners before it is too late.

Terrorists intimidating an international aid organization is not newsworthy, of course.

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