Today the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) brought back the remains of those who should have been reunited with their loved ones in life, not in death.

Our role today was to fulfill a vital humanitarian duty to allow families to mourn with dignity. They deserve to grieve and honour those they lost with a proper burial.

These operations should be done privately out of the utmost respect for the deceased and for those left grieving. We have been unequivocal: every release—whether of the living or the deceased—must be conducted with dignity and privacy.

The ICRC remains committed to the role entrusted to us under the ceasefire agreement.