Jerusalem – Netanyahu To Red Cross Chief: Help Recover Bodies Of 2 Slain Soldiers In Gaza

Jerusalem – Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, in Tel Aviv on Thursday.

Netanyahu presented the Red cross chief with footage and images that showed Hamas using Gazan civilians as human shields, and UN facilities being used as weapons storage sites and rocket launching pads.

“Hamas positions rocket launching pads around heavily populated areas,” like schools, mosques, hospitals, the prime minister said.

Israel was doing all it could to prevent civilian casualties, Netanyahu said, as opposed to Hamas that commits “a double war crime” – targeting israeli civilians while hiding behind residents in Gaza.

The prime minister notes that Israel has agreed “time after time” to humanitarian cease-fires – including that put forward by the Red Cross – and Hamas, in turn, has violated them, “time after time.”

“Israel will do everything it can to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza,” Netanyahu assured the ICRC president.

He recalled their former meeting in 2013, in which the premier said Israel would continue to abide by international law, but would not sit “with its hands folded” in the face of terrorism.

“Hamas bears responsibility for the tragic targeting of civilians,” Netanyahu reiterated, adding “Hezbollah uses the same terror technigue – taking civilians as hostages.”

Netanyahu made the point that “if Israel’s right to defend itself was not certain” it would compromise other democratic countries who are trying to protect its citizens.

He then asked for Maurer’s help in recovering the bodies of Staff Sergeant St.-Sgt. Oron Shaul and Sec.-Lt. Hadar Goldin, the two slain soldiers, who died during Operation Protective Edge.