Hamas Stages Another Medieval Spectacle

The International Red Cross Stands Idly By

Once again, Palestinian mobs and armed Hamas soldiers terrorized Israeli hostages as they were about to be released while the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stood idly by and did nothing to protect the innocent.

One British reporter called it a “medieval spectacle” in which the Jewish female hostage was showcased by leering Hamas fighters who were treating her “like a war trophy.”

This is the second in a series on the ICRC, a questionable humanitarian organization that continues to stand aside when Jews are abused, imprisoned, humiliated tortured and murdered.

Since October 7, 2023, the ICRC has comfortably evaded international its responsibility as a humanitarian organization as it has never met with any Israeli hostage, provided them with needed medicine, food or offered proof of life.

As recorded in film and video, Palestinian crowds, in a frenzy along with thousands of armed and masked Hamas terrorists swarmed and threatened Arbel Yehoud, 29, and the elderly Israeli Gadi Moses, age 80, in the Gaza city of Khan Younis. Yehoud’s partner is still in captivity.

British Spectator political reporter Brendan O’Neill vividly describes the storm orchestrated by Hamas, writing that it resembled the ancient antisemitic ritual of degrading Jewish women in front of leering men.

“Watching Arbel Yehoud being freed in Gaza today, I thought to myself: this is what it must have been like at Salem. Here we had a diminutive woman being paraded through a baying mob of hollering men. They barked religious slogans at her. They shoved and jostled to get a better view of the marked woman. They thrust their mobile phones in her face to capture her terror for posterity. They’ll no doubt share the clips. ‘Look! See how scared she was!’”

O’Neill says it’s a sinister throwback to medieval times, writing, “It was a positively medieval spectacle. Ms. Yehuod was displayed like a war trophy, forced to walk through a crowd of fuming men roaring ‘Allahu Akbar!’ at her. The Jew-hating militants of Hamas, in their green bandanas, towered over her. Her pale face was etched with fear.

“It seems Hamas and its allies are hell-bent on taunting their hostages to the very last. This was not just a ‘handover’ of an Israeli captive. It was a kind of ritualistic humiliation. A Jew was hauled to a public square packed with men who hate her kind,” O’Neill wrote.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the mob attack on Yehoud and Moses “unimaginable cruelty.” He was right in his comment. Just look at Yehud as she’s surrounded by armed Hamas thugs.

Five Thai workers and Agam Berger were also released. A 20-year-old female IDF soldier was separately released in Jabalia.

The ICRC quickly issued a statement absolving itself of any responsibility for the terrorizing event, writing on its website that it’s powerless to control the environment in which hostages are released. The statement sadly amplified its record of passivity throughout the hostage ordeal. “The ICRC does not control the time of the release, the place, or the surrounding environment. The details and logistics are determined by the parties themselves.”

But it did claim some responsibility, writing on its website,” Throughout the release process, the ICRC’s focus is on ensuring the safe and secure transfers of those in its care.”

This public spectacle of terrorizing hostages was also filled with a bit of bitter irony. Their anti-Jewish actions occurred only two days after world leaders assembled at the Nazi’s infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp where a million Jews were murdered.

The event on January 27 marked the 80^th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp as part of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. About fifty surviving Auschwitz inmates attended the somber ceremonies.

(In another Substack I’ll comment on the rank hypocrisy of some of the world leaders who attended that event.)

Hamas, through unnamed “mediators,” – Egypt and Qatar? - now claim Hamas’ showboating and public terrifying of hostages will end. They did so not out of any pangs of conscience, but because Israel threatened to stop releasing convicted Palestinian prisoners for the hostages. Once again, it’s clear that Hamas won’t respond to appeals of humanity and reason, but only to force.

It's worth noting during World War II, the Nazis cooperated with the International Red Cross, allowing medicines, food and mail to British and American POWs. The Nazis cooperated with the Red Cross with enemy POWs! But not Hamas – and they can get away with it.

Hamas believes, correctly for the moment, that it can ignore the ICRC and keep the hostages in dank, dark and suffocating tunnels, without medical care and, of course, without dignity or hope. And the ICRC has not publicly pushed back and therefore is complicit with this crime.

Eventually, there will be repercussions. The Trump administration currently has put a temporary hold on some foreign assistance to humanitarian organizations. I hope that it will take a close look at the ICRC.

And eventually, there may be some repercussions on the American Red Cross which has remained steadfastly mum during the ICRC’s inaction. Last year, the American Red Cross donated $10 million to their international brethren. But they have been publicly silent despite weekly demonstrations outside its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The staging of terrifying assaults against hostages someday will become another international crime to heap on to Hamas. However, the terrorist group and its allies believe they are beyond international law. Right now, it appears they may be right.

But times might be changing too. Hamas’ latest inhumane act may give momentum to Trump’s suggestion that the Palestinians should escape Hamas’ clutches and altogether leave the Gaza strip – and its corrupt leaders.