At the end of the first year since the October 7th massacre, a meeting was held between ZAKA representatives and senior officials of the Red Cross in Geneva.
The meeting, which lasted over an hour, focused on efforts to return the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Nachman Dickstein, head of Zaka Europe, shared personal testimonies from Zaka volunteers who were exposed to the atrocities of October 7th with the representatives of the Red Cross.
"It's hard to put into words what we saw with our own eyes," Dickstein said. "It is unimaginable to think what the hostages are going through there in captivity. It is both our and your duty to make every effort to bring them back home.”
Senior officials from the Red Cross participated in the meeting. They heard first hand accounts of the horrors and expressed shock at the evidence.
Zaka representatives emphasized the need for close cooperation between the organizations to return the hostages. "It is impossible that they have been held there for a whole year," they said. "We must bring them home."
Representatives of the Red Cross repeated their official demand to have access to the hostages and provide them with treatment, according to international humanitarian law.
Duby Weissenstern, CEO of ZAKA, concluded: "The meeting was essential and significant in the fight to return the hostages. We believe that the joint efforts will result in their return home and an end to the suffering of the families."