The following is an open letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross signed by a number of prominent Canadian physicians.
We, as Canadian physicians devoted to the well-being and humanitarian treatment of all individuals, regardless of nationality or faith, are compelled to address a matter of profound urgency. With great concern, we write to express our distress over the apparent abandonment of hostages currently held in Gaza, a humanitarian crisis that has weighed heavily on our hearts and minds since Oct. 7, 2023.
As many are aware, civilians from around 25 countries, including men, women and children, were abducted from Israel and are now enduring prolonged captivity in Gaza under horrific conditions. Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War expressly prohibits the taking of hostages “at any time and in any place whatsoever.” However, in this case, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has failed to conduct the necessary visits to assess these hostages’ welfare, a deeply troubling neglect of duty.
Released hostages have recounted harrowing experiences: they were denied basic medication, starved and subjected to severe physical, psychological and sexual abuse. These individuals are in desperate need of medical care, psychological support and the protection of their fundamental rights under international law. It is imperative that the ICRC urgently fulfills its mandate to protect these vulnerable individuals and ensure their basic human rights are upheld without further delay.
The ICRC has a history that weighs heavily in this moment. During the Holocaust, the ICRC did not adequately intervene to protect millions of Jews from persecution. It has acknowledged that its failure to act in the face of overwhelming evidence about the horrors of Nazi extermination camps, including Auschwitz, represents one of the darkest chapters in its history. On April 29, 1942, an internal communication from the German branch of the Red Cross to the ICRC declared that no information would be shared about “non-Aryan” detainees. This decision — and the silence that followed — stands as a stark reminder that inaction results in complicity.
In 1944, Maurice Rossel, an ICRC delegate, visited the Theresienstadt ghetto and reported no violations of human rights, despite the obvious manipulation by Nazi authorities to present a facade of humane conditions. Even though the world was already aware of the mass deportations and atrocities, the ICRC’s choice not to challenge the propaganda it witnessed contributed to the concealment of the truth and the prolongation of suffering.
These past failures, acknowledged by the ICRC itself, should serve as a lesson in the importance of unwavering humanitarian vigilance and action. History must not repeat itself.
We fully acknowledge the challenging conditions in which the Red Cross operates, particularly in complex conflict zones such as Gaza. Nonetheless, the continued absence of Red Cross representatives from the lives of these hostages is disheartening and deeply concerning. As a humanitarian organization, the Red Cross is obligated to ensure that all detainees, irrespective of their nationality, are treated with dignity and provided with adequate care and support.
We urge the International Red Cross to act decisively in this matter. The ICRC bears a crucial responsibility to safeguard the well-being of the hostages, advocate for their immediate release and, at the very least, demand that they are provided with humane conditions in captivity.
In this critical moment, we call on the ICRC to take immediate steps to visit the hostages taken from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. We ask that the ICRC assess their conditions and ensure they receive the necessary humanitarian aid. We also implore the ICRC to provide proof of life to the anguished families of the hostages, who have been deprived of any information regarding their loved ones. Additionally, we urge the ICRC to press for these hostages’ release through diplomatic channels and international advocacy, working tirelessly to end their suffering.
We trust that the Red Cross will recognize the gravity of this situation and act in a manner consistent with the high standards and core values it was founded upon. The humanitarian mission embodied by the ICRC is one that transcends borders and ideologies, and a swift intervention in this crisis would reflect that mission with integrity and compassion.
We look forward to the ICRC’s prompt response and remain hopeful that action will be taken to assist these innocent civilians, who have endured far too long in captivity.
Signed,
Dr. Karine Toledano, Dr. Aviva Aspler, Dr. Gerald Batist, Dr. Keith MacLellan, Dr. Philip Berger, Dr. David Jacobs, Dr. Samuele Renzi, Dr. Ron Wald, Dr. Aline Levi, et al.