The International Committee of the Red Cross addressed Tuesday the allegations raised by the relatives of 84-year-old Elma Avraham, who was released earlier this week from Hamas captivity. The family claimed that representatives of the aid organization refused to accept medication to give to Elma while she was in Gaza.
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"We told the family, as we have responded to other families requesting to transfer medications, that at this point, we cannot deliver medications to Israeli hostages, despite our requests to provide them with treatment, our request has not been answered. We had no option until the moment we met Elma, 84, during the captive release phase to provide medical treatment," the Red Cross said in a statement.
"The Red Cross has called and continues to call on Hamas to release all the hostages, allow access to medical treatment, and provide them with a communication channel with their families. We have made this call on various platforms and opportunities, repeatedly and will continue to do so. The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross even met with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar and requested these things. We understand that there is an expectation from the families to leave their medications in Gaza. However, as long as there is no entity willing to accept these medications, we will not take on that task."
Meanwhile, Soroka Medical Center reported that there has been an improvement in Elma's condition. The hospital stated that Elma, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7, is conscious and breathing on her own. The hospital also reported that, for over a day, she was in a severe state of unconsciousness, ventilated and received support for her compromised bodily systems.
Dr. Motti Klein, the head of the Intensive Care Department, stated: "She responds well to the treatment she is receiving and is recovering. I need to emphasize that, as part of the medical treatment, we provide the families with close emotional support through the hospital's social services. Despite the improvement in her condition, she still requires ongoing monitoring and follow-up within the framework of the intensive care unit. We are optimistic and will do everything possible to facilitate Elma's continued recovery."