Whatever one thinks of the events of the past 16 months in Gaza, we all have to acknowledge that the World would be a far worse place without the Red Cross Movement.
The fact that the International Committee of the Red Cross has been selected to act as the go-between for the hostage handover, over other humanitarian organisations such as the United Nations, is very telling. Its hard-earned reputation for impartiality and independence is its most important asset, but this has not been maintained without huge challenges.
After several ICRC field-workers were killed in places such as Chechnya, I was invited to Geneva as the first serving military officer to work in their headquarters. They had genuine concerns that unlike the World Wars, when my grandmother was a red cross nurse, they were now seen as legitimate targets by terrorist organisations. This was compounded by the fact that Special Forces soldiers were impersonating them to gain access behind the lines.
As we begin 2025 with renewed hope for peace in the Middle East, and relief for those affected by the current conflict, we need to acknowledge and applaud the courage of the ICRC in maintaining morality in war.
Rupert Wieloch 