TEL AVIV, December 4. /TASS/. Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), will visit the Gaza Strip on Monday, Israel’s Galei Tzahal Army Radio Station reported.
It is expected that the ICRC head will meet with the hostages held by militants from the Palestinian radical group Hamas.
On November 22, Hamas reported reaching an agreement with Israel, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, on a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip that came into effect on November 24. The agreements envisaged the release of 50 women, children and teenagers held in the enclave in exchange for the release of 150 women, children and teenagers from Israeli prisons. On November 27, the sides extended the agreement on the same terms, that is, three Palestinian prisoners would be released in exchange for every Israeli hostage freed by the Hamas movement.
On December 1, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire and announced renewed fighting in the Gaza Strip. Palestine’s authorities said the US was responsible for Israel’s renewed aggression.